Old Souls
by Hack.Drawer
Summary: Four weapons of a war that destroyed most of humanity survive under mysterious circumstances. Fast forward two hundred years into the future, they wake up to werepeople, foxes and wastelands. They weren't treated like humans then, but they really want to be acknowledged as humans now; they'll do whatever it takes to be treated equally, even if they don't agree amongst themselves AU
1. Chapter 1

**A/n: From now on, I'll add a music list; this chapter was inspired by, "Awakening", by Alexandre Desplat, and "Drift" by Mica Levi.**

 **: : One**

Two hundred years after the world fell into grand scale war, the presence of humans began to remerge from the rubble and begin to rebuild a new life. Creative technology was rebuilt to cleanse the air, and wastelands were slowly being settled and cultivated into usable plots allowing food growth and encouragement of settlements.

While the world wasn't what it was years ago, it was a brand new one – the only one thing that hadn't changed was conflict. The settlements began to war with each other over 'new' land, scarce food territories, technology, slaves and reputation. Without order, it was impossible to work together. All that mattered was that each colony was able to sustain itself.

Unbeknownst to a burgeoning colony in the East Blue, the land underneath them was hiding a secret.

: :

Cheatgrass, dried undergrowth, hibernating trees and brush burned brilliantly in a wildfire caused by recent lightening, covering the area with a smoky haze that made the air hot, dry and polluted with ash. Without a way to fight it, the colonists could only work to protect their wall – bringing in gallons of salty sea water from the nearby harbor to spray along the line, allowing the fire to die eventually at their territory. The hills burned with a bright orange color, spreading through city streets long abandoned by time. Flames faltered and died amongst the skeletal remains of various buildings that were overgrown by foliage, and consumed by animal life that took root amongst the tallest of towers. Eventually, the fire began dying near the cliffs that separated a mountain from their area. Wildlife called out noisily while flitting through the remains of the city. While they fled the heat, this allowed the colonists to pick off the larger animals, to distribute amongst the families that were carefully guarded inside the colony walls. Life wasn't what it used to be – these animals were native to the colonists, but back in a world that was left behind, they could have been considered mutants. Surviving the aftermath of a war that nearly decimated humans, wildlife had adjusted to a world that no longer interrupted them with their pollutants. Many forms branched out to create new ones – others evolved.

The land east of the colony walls were burnt black, as if someone had dumped vats of ink over the terrain. The smoldering spots leaked smoke that dispersed only vaguely with the salty breeze running off the ocean waters miles away. Water trucks moved noisily outside the walls to keep the fireline at bay. The sound of colonists' voices carrying over the wall were positive, and the noises of construction, farmland activity, and blasts of dynamite destroying rock and old building formations to form roads and more living spaces boomed out over the empty wasteland.

Shielded by an aggressive ocean that was manageable only with small craft and dangerous cliff walls spilled down from uninhabited mountainsides, the colony was in a good spot. They used solar power to gather energy, wind from windmills posted to face the sea. Despite occasional conflict from hostiles that climbed over the walls in an effort to conquer and steal, this colony was quietly peaceful.

Booted feet paused in front of a row of hinges that were visible from behind smoldering vines, broken trunks of trees that had been hibernating over the winter season. Years of growth and what looked like displaced rock from a cliffside had kept a secret easily missed years previously when the colony rose from the emptiness.

Vibrating with excitement, Ussop swept away most of the curdled vines and used a hatchet to whack at blackened branches to clear debris away the from the door. Set at an angle into the ground, the doorway was clearly a treasure. It was rusty, marked black by the fire, the wheel stained with time.

"Guys! _Guys_!" he shouted with excitement, pulling a large branch from the door, tossing it aside as he realized what he was looking at.

Ussop replaced his hatchet and waited for his companions to stop arguing over who had to carry the gathering basket. He didn't want to remind them that both of them had individual baskets of their own to hold, but only one of them had forgotten his. Both of them didn't want to admit that it was himself that had forgotten the task.

Once he caught their attention, Ussop gestured at the door grandly. With the edges of winter fading, but the land still emitting heat due to the wildfire, he'd forgone his long sleeve shirt, wearing only a rabbit-fur vest over trousers held up by suspenders, his leather boots were folded at the calves; his long gloves were half-fingered, tied just before his elbows. He wore a fluffy ponytail with a faded print bandanna around his hairline, goggles atop of those. Over his shoulder was his bag used once he was outside the walls. A rifle clung to his back, ammunition belted around his waist.

The colony wasn't visible from this angle of the hillside, hidden behind a rocky shelf and some skeletal remains of apartment buildings that had been staggered down the hill. The wind caused old metal to creak and moan, and tall grasses that had managed to escape the fire rustled lightly. Birds called out with noises that echoed overhead as they swept from structure to structure, watching over nests. Hours ago, the trio had climbed over what remained of a fence designed to keep civilians out – battered caution signs with faded print could give no warning at all, and were nearly covered by trees that had been once nicely maintained by city workers.

"It's a doorway to hell," Zoro said gravely, walking up to it. His wolf-fur hooded half cape covered a plain, dingy t-shirt that was tucked into a haramaki and camouflage pants, black boots laced tightly. He wore a backpack that jingled slightly behind him, already weighty with a couple of rabbits, some hens that had been roaming throughout what was left of the brush. His goggles were around his neck, used when ash and fleeting embers of the land took to the air when the breeze picked up.

"Ah! You found your home! Welcome back!" Sanji said brightly. Wearing a wool hooded cape, he was wearing a brown vest and a half-sleeved blue shirt with a faded collar, high waisted trousers belted in place. He had a fox hide-scarf wrapped around his neck, the bushy tail dangling over his chest, where there were small, gold coins of no-worth dangling from the fur. His hands were covered with half-fingered brown gloves, and he wore a bag at his hip; mainly containing ingredients for his cigarettes, for anything edible he found outside. He refused to carry the basket, insisting that just because Zoro was bigger in mass, he should be the ass-load.

"You muckspout, I ain't going nowhere!"

"Guys, this is _huge_! This thing goes underground!" Ussop exclaimed, examining the lock. It demanded a key code or a card-key, the numbers faded with time. Crouching, he looked it over thoughtfully, Zoro sighing impatiently. Ussop quickly retrieved a cracked tech-pad, which was connected with the colony's data server; the ancient works left behind after the war two hundred years ago was used to lock doors, operate machinery locally, and bypass codes on anything that the scavengers found on their travels. He inserted a card-key just to see if the security lights would flash upon activation. Once they did, he eked a sound of joy. "Keen! This still has some power!"

"We should tell the others about this," Zoro said, crossing his arms. "Door's locked for a reason."

"Yeah, but if it's an underground bunker, it's our job to loot it. Let's at least get the job started before anyone else finds it," Sanji told him. "This area was a tech valley before the war."

"If that's so, maybe it's a server room?"

Sanji gave Zoro a puzzled look. "Like a restaurant?"

" _No_ , you beardsplitter! Like computers and shit!"

"I can't read your mind!"

"I didn't say you had to!"

As Ussop made to break the encryption on the keylock, he watched the numbers flit by on his techpad as the card remained in place. Balancing it on his knees as he crouched, he tapped his fingers together, excited to see what remained inside of the underground bunker. Sanji was right – the area of which they lived in was a valley where a military base resided years ago – the houses' foundations left behind gave the new colony clues to the life lived here. Rusty military trucks were still sitting in rows in skeletal bunkers, with a couple of air vehicles standing on a long abandoned runway. Large structures that might have been office buildings had collapsed and fallen, leaving behind steel joists that still stretched towards the sky. The land had grown around the base, sometimes allowing its secrets to stand out, but the fire had given them plenty of area to cover to look for things like this.

"Nothing to scavenge in a server room."

"But the diggers would be jake about it."

" _Robin_ would be jake about it, that's for sure."

"Do it for her, zounderkite."

The lock gave with a loud clink that caused both men to look startled, Ussop squealing with joy as he retrieved his key card, stuffing his instruments back into his bag with care. He then grabbed the wheel and jerked on it, trying to turn it to open. Grunting, he struggled while the other two watched with disinterest, smoke building in the distance as the fire found new fuel to latch onto.

"Will you _help_ me?" Ussop then snarled impatiently at Zoro, who sighed heavily, swinging the basket into Sanji's stomach so he had to catch it. Ussop stepped aside as Zoro gripped the wheel and wrenched in one direction, straining to do so.

"Here, let a real man do it," Sanji said, putting out his cigarette as he stepped forward. That gave Zoro the extra drive to put more strength into it, the wheel finally screeching with protest as it started to turn. The sound of the latch retreating as the wheel pulled it creaked out noisily, Ussop dancing in place excitedly. Once Zoro lifted, yanking the heavy metal aside with more effort, the hinges cried out shrilly, both Ussop and Sanji looking into a stairway with metal railings that led down into a deep, dark nothing at the bottom. The concrete walls gave nothing away. Ussop's excitement died away and he cringed as Zoro released the door.

The air that hit them was musty, dank, and an ominous sound emerged from it. Ussop rapidly clung to Zoro.

"It's really deep," Sanji muttered, stepping closer to Zoro, the other elbowing him aside.

"We're gonna need flashlights," Zoro said.

"We're gonna go back to town and let Robin have at it, yeah? We're just scavengers, right? We only pick up things we see, not things we do not," Ussop said, turning away. Sanji reached out and snatched him back as Zoro rummaged through his pack for a flashlight in one of his front pockets.

"We're _going_. You worked so hard at opening it, let's reward ourselves," Sanji told Ussop, holding onto him with an arm around his neck as Zoro took the first step.

In what felt like moments later, the darkness enveloped them, Ussop shaking fiercely as the limited light of flashlights barely gave them ability to see around them. But they emerged into what looked like a building layout; there was another locked door that Ussop had no problem cracking with his techpad, but the fact that it was quadrupled layered, forcing both Sanji and Zoro to put all their strength into opening it, told Ussop that this was going to be a bad find.

Once the door had caught, all of them used their flashlights to examine what it was they had found. It was a clinic style lobby, with two chairs standing at attention near an office window that had layers of sheeting over the frame, accessible only through an intercom at the side. As Sanji examined the office through the window, Zoro caught sight of yet another door at the back of the lobby, shaking his head. Ussop clung to his back, fearful of the stillness that made it feel like they were venturing into a tomb of some kind.

Inside the office, Sanji could see an overturned landline phone – he hadn't seen any of those in person before, so he amazed at the sight of it before seeing scattered papers over the desk, on the floor. The chair with wheels had been flattened against one wall – as if someone had smashed it deliberately against the surface. Files were left in shambles – too far away for him to see what they contained. There was another doorway just beyond the main desk that was opened only slightly, showing him intense darkness leading into nothing. With a shrug, he turned away.

But as Zoro jerked upon the handle, the door opened with a loud creak, revealing a long, narrow corridor. The end had a warning sign that opened up to a broader hallway. There were warning stripes that broke across the plain walls, along with emergency lights posted within the center. There was something ominous about the setup that had him hesitating. The air was stale, heavy, as if gathering weight through the years; it only seemed to move upon the opening of the main door. Each of them pulled out field oxygen masks from their bags, Ussop's hands shaking as he did so.

"This was probably the base's underground treasure room," Sanji said, fiddling with his mask before slipping it on. He had a hard time with the mask over his face; a long ago memory made it difficult to cope with the feeling of being enclosed in. "Where they kept secrets and all that. Housed their highest officers."

"The warning signs are throwing me off," Zoro muttered, his voice muffled as he used his flashlight to examine the warning stripes.

"Let's go. If I'm right, them houses hold valuables," Sanji said, walking forward with his flashlight moving over the floor, wary of encountering anything creeping along the floors. Ussop clung to Zoro's backpack, walking close behind him as the swordsman ventured forward. Once they crossed the hallway and reached the y, they debated on their options. One corridor lead down into another staircase that disappeared beyond the cone of their lights, another directed them to a steel heavy door with Caution! signs plastered over the wheel.

"This one probably leads back to the office spaces," Sanji said.

"Nothing valuable for us to take," Zoro decided.

Sanji then posed against the wheel, miming the act of adjusting his tie. "Look at me – I work at this here office."

"You're a dumb rantallion!"

" _What_? I was spot on!"

"Where's the basket?" Ussop asked, looking at each of them. Both of them pretended not to hear him, so he heaved an exasperated sigh.

They went right towards the staircase, their breathing and movements being the only sounds that echoed noisily between the concrete walls. The stairway had more warning stripes on them, leading to another steel door. Once Zoro managed to tug it open, a wave of air swept over them with a forceful rush, bringing along with it fluttering pieces of paper, a musty stench and evidence of a once occupied area frozen in the hands of time. Once he was sure the door was settled against the hallway wall without indication of swinging shut, he released his touch on the surface, walking in with a wondrous expression like the other two.

The walls were brightly painted with the outside world; trees, a bright blue sky with scattered clouds, a sun emblazoned onto ceiling lights to the left, and a moon emblazoned on lights to the right. As soon as they stepped in, lights sparked on with a crackling noise, causing Ussop to shriek in surprise, hands clamping over his mask. The buzzing sound of electricity caused them all to cringe in reflex, but their attention was caught to the sight around them. The area was a great room – with worn couches that had been overturned, mangled with their cushions ripped and disemboweled. Pillows were strewn across the floor, lamps broken, lampshades crumbled by feet. Books lay scattered over the floor with pages ripped out, rustling at their feet. Pieces of a dish with lay scattered in a nearby hallway, along with stains of food that had long since disintegrated to mere bones and withered stems.

Sanji removed his mask first, inhaling of the sharp, musty air. It made him cough, but as he adjusted, he inhaled again. Zoro and Ussop removed their masks, looking around cautiously. The area was obviously a living room – but it seemed like something straight out of a book. To the left were more doors; straight ahead was a corridor that revealed opened rooms. To the right was another steel door with warning signs over them. The three of them investigated the living room.

Sanji paused in front of a near wall sized television set, taking in the flat screen tv with curiosity. He touched the screen, drawing a fingertip over it with slow wonder, then looked at his fingertips. He was puzzled at the lack of dust. There were dvds strewn around them, some half broken or cracked. He picked up a few titles, eyes wide at the content. He'd never seen these things, before, having only saw them in the books the archeologists lended out. The home stereo system had him crouching over it, twisting the volume dials, pressing buttons – a static sound filtered out through the speakers hung up on the walls around the large screen. He couldn't imagine what the device was for, having never seen one – but the sound startled him, and he quickly depressed the power button.

Zoro was looking over an iPad, turning it over and over in his hands, wondering what it was for. The screen was cracked, the corner opened to reveal shards of broken material. But there were Lisa Frank stickers pasted over the back, covering the apple. "Perona" was written in Old English across the bottom, near the home button. He'd picked it up from a plastic tool box that had tubes of colors inside, with palettes of broken dust that left pigmented colors across his fingers. There were pencils inside of it that had long since dried, leaving behind only the colored wood casings. A name brand was written over most of them, and he thought they were coloring pencils, so he searched for a sketching pad.

Ussop investigated a rectangular object with a small glass screen, with what looked like a directional button below it. Attached to it were earbuds that were faintly stained with ear wax, and he made a face as he saw this. The apple on the back of the device was something he'd seen before, but he didn't remember where. He pocketed it, then picked up a journal that had faded pictures of men's fashion. The styles inside made him snicker as he observed stoic-faced models in form fitting suits, with articles that gave interesting insights to travel, electronics, and how to pick up women. He saw a page that made him relook at the device he pocketed, seeing that it was an iPod, and it played music. But the battery had long since been damaged, and the screen refused to budge.

He looked at the publication date of the magazine, and whistled.

"This date reads here a month before the bombs hit," he said with incredulity in his tone. He looked at the others. "Guys, we're the _first_ ones in here!"

Zoro squinted at the elaborately painted ceiling. "Weird how this place looks more like a house than military quarters."

"Maybe the people that made it used it to survive the fallout," Sanji said, turning away from the home stereo system, looking towards the doors. He brightened, coins jingling as he gave a skipping step towards them. "Maybe there are _bodies_ in there. Let's go look at them."

"Let's not!" Ussop cried fretfully.

" _Oh_ , that's jake with me," Zoro said, following after Sanji. He reached out to pull the blond back so he could be first, Sanji kicking at him to create space. The blond opened one of the doors and pushed it aside, revealing a bedroom covered in pink. From a four poster bed with a pink, frilly canopy with pink blankets that had unicorns on them, to the pink furry rug with pink painted walls, the entire room made them all cringe. There were posters of actors, cute animals and inspirational quotes tacked to the walls. There was a vanity stand in the corner with plastic racks of tubes, palettes, brushes and two shelves of colored bottles arranged in rainbow colors. Clinging to the wall near the stand were wigs with long, pink strands that looked like scalps. Near the closet were shoes arranged from simple heels to clunky boots. The closet was slightly open, revealing frilly clothing, dresses with ribbons and gossamer skirting.

"I think this was a girl's room," Ussop whispered, as if his voice would wake someone. But the bed was thankfully empty.

"Look at this stuff! I'm sure she was a _princess_!" Sanji exclaimed, wandering right in, looking for a dresser.

"Perv! Even for the dead!" Zoro snapped in outrage. "You desecrate the dead's things, they'll come back and bring you with them!"

"Don't wig, I'll be her prince!" Sanji said merrily, opening the closet door, and finding it to be a walk-in closet. The racks that held the dresses seen from outside lined one wall – the other contained shelves and drawers for the things he'd been looking for; dainty pieces of underwear that were lace and scraps of fabric. His mouth dropped open as he pulled a set from a drawer, faded material showing off frilly sides, lace that disintegrated at his touch, and ribbons that broke as the weight of it pulled it from his grasp. He reached in and pulled out more, lace collapsing in his hands as his hands came into contact with it. His nose started to bleed, and he clasped his fingers over his face with an awestruck expression. "This is what women _wore_ back then…tiny little things that don't leave _nothing_ to thought."

Zoro shook his head in disgust at him as Ussop looked over his shoulder, certain he heard something move. Leaving Sanji to his fantasies, Zoro moved to the next room, Ussop clinging to him fearfully. This one had black paint splattered on the walls in splotches – with each wall near covered by angry writing. The ink had faded, so he wasn't able to decipher what had been written. The rug was ripped up in some areas, revealing the concrete floor. The furniture was smashed, laying in complete disarray – the mattress propped up against the wall, with black sheets still clinging to it. There were miscellaneous items lying in chaotic clutter on the floor – some of them colored tubes like the ones he'd found earlier. Clothes lay in a massive pile in the closet – all of it black, gaudily printed material. One of the boots he found had the leather torn down the back from calf to heel. Faint splotches on the wall near the closet was of a different color than the paint – knuckle sized, as if someone had punched it repeatedly in anger.

The other room had a sterile feel to it – no posters, no color, with plain, worn sheets and a book left atop of the comforter. Aside from a desk with multiple texts sitting in the corner, it looked as if this room had been abandoned a long time ago. The closet revealed t-shirts and jeans, with shoes ranging from high tops to Vans shelved into neat rows. Without any personality to it, he couldn't tell what sort of person had once lived here.

The next one had a familiar clutter to it – magazines with animals, with National Geographic and Discovery piled into dangerous towers around the bed like an obstacle course. There were earthy destination posters all over the room, some overlapping each other, with writing that had caused the print to fade right into the wall. On the desk were various electronics, various pink slips scattered over them – there was a waste basket full of them next to it. The closet revealed a general mess – underwear, shorts, pants, shirts, and shoes that didn't match crammed into available places. There was a giant Jolly Roger painted over most of the posters overlooking the bed, which had been sloppily made. There were liquid stains everywhere, which made the bed look disgusting – Zoro could see wrappers peeking out from underneath, as well as plates and cups that held stains that were no longer decipherable.

"There are no pictures," Ussop observed, hands on his hips. "Are these the only rooms?"

"If it were hiding lots of people, these can't be the only rooms," Zoro mused. "But you're right…there are no pictures."

"No bodies, Bejabbers!" Ussop said with relief, hand to his chest.

Zoro confirmed this with a nod, walking back out. Sanji met them in the living room, mopping up his nose with what looked to be a t-shirt.

"If I sniff this hard enough, it smells like women's perfume!" he declared, holding it out to them. Ussop recoiled from it, Zoro giving him a disgusted look.

"Clean your face! _Scobberlotcher_."

They all meandered towards the open corridor, wandering through to peer into the rooms available. One was a dining room – it was once a grand presentation with a large, oak table, walls lined with wood panels, and elaborately decorated chairs; there was a chandelier hanging from the ceiling, its strands long since broken. There were printed curtains open to reveal a life portrait of a world with trees, a parking lot, blue skies. With the light coming from the broken light fixture, it seemed like a real world outside of the frame. The rug was faded with traffic use, chair indentations where they had been pulled out and in, over and over again. There was a music player in the corner of the room, with a speaker system that spread over the room. When Ussop pressed the Power button, the sounds of a dining area had them all jerking with surprise. Glass clinked, diners murmured, voices called out to each other as utensils scraped over plates. Music played faintly in the distance. For a moment, it felt like they had just stepped into a fabled restaurant, and looked around themselves for the sight of other diners. His skin pimpled with goosebumps, Ussop turned it off.

Sanji rubbed his arms, shivering. "It feels like I been hit with a ghost."

Zoro reached out and patted his shoulder with reassurance.

All of them ventured into another room – a library that looked as if it had been set fire, burning shelves, books, and tables all into a rug that had disintegrated over time. The stench of extinguished smoke lingered. There was nothing salvageable, here.

The one next to it was a gym – holding enough space for a court, a treadmill, some weights that had been strewn across the entire area, as if someone had thrown them from the racks. The bench was overturned, mangled into an unrecognizable mess. Beyond that was more space, but they couldn't see that far due to the darkness. The lights above had been shattered, allowing only the light from the hall to enter.

"Someone was _mean_ ," Sanji whispered, peering over Zoro's shoulder, where he was hiding with Ussop. Their voices, and breath, seemed to carry over the open space, giving it a spooky feeling. They quickly left that area and wandered into a medical office – this place, too, had been destroyed thoroughly. The floor was left with nearly a knee-high pile of metal, unrecognizable items, shelves, and a table that was barely poking through what looked like a cabinet. Four other rooms revealed too much damage for them to even guess what they had once been, and a few doors that they couldn't unlock – they returned to the living room, heading for the doors on the other side of the living room. Only one could be opened, and this revealed a narrow corridor that allowed them to walk through in a single file – Zoro opened the wheel, pushing the door in to reveal a very damp room that whispered with energy and activity. It felt like there were many people inside, but it yielded only four metallic pods. Walking down the steps, they touched onto metal floor that creaked with their weight. The walls were formed out of strange material – like sparkling wet concrete.

Eyes wide, Ussop looked up at the tubing that connected the units together, over the pipes that ran along the walls, the lights that slowly flared to life once they'd crossed the threshold. He found the source of power that whispered with use – looking the dash over, he tried to figure out exactly what it was as Zoro and Sanji walked a little further in, examining the modules propped upright against the walls. Half of them were metal – the other half was a glass-like plating that had long since been covered with grime and dirt that neither could move when they wiped at it. But they found handles, locking mechanisms activated by a single red toggle that was darkly stained with age and dust.

Ussop gasped, hands over his mouth as he looked over at the others, their attention to him. Taking a few steps towards them, clinging to Zoro, Ussop eked out, "These are con-taint-ment units! They got _life_ inside!"

"Well, keen, let's see what sort," Sanji said. "Maybe they're seeds for crops."

"Or cool, ancient edible animals," Zoro theorized, rubbing his chin as he tried to imagine these pods holding the DNA of future food.

" _Crops_ are better."

" _Meat_ tastes better."

"You ain't ever had a properly cooked meal."

"You ain't either!"

"Maybe it's the officers that were living here!" Ussop exclaimed, scraping at the dirt over one tube with his fingernail. "That dash reads full power – whatever it is, it's been energizing them for the last _two hundred years_! _Smooth_! If we can harness that power for the colony's use, we wouldn't have to rely on solar and wind, no more!"

"I guess that's smooth," Zoro said.

"I don't know, that sounds like a lot of hassle," Sanji said.

"Guys! Get jived with me!"

"All I'm thinking is if other people hear about it, they're gonna want it."

Ussop patted on the tube he had been scratching at, slapping his palm loudly on the plating. "If these guys here are from two hundred years ago, think of the information they've retained from back then! We can use their brains for our own colony's value! We only know what was left behind, and what works – they might know more than us!"

Zoro and Sanji rolled their eyes towards each other, then frowned in sync.

" _Ussop_ ," Zoro said impatiently, crossing his arms.

"If they're from two hundred years back, they won't know much _now_ ," Sanji finished crossly.

"Someone gonna have to take care of them, and it ain't gonna be me. I'm busy."

"No one can trust you with a job, anyway."

"Look at _him_ , he pervs out on old underwear! He can't be jake with a job like that!"

" _This_ guy lacks common sense! He'll get them dead ten minutes flat!"

Ussop glared at them, hand on his hip, leaning against the unit as they looked upon him with twin expressions of reluctance. "I think the only reason why the colony keeps you guys is because I'm the only one that tolerates you both."

"We can at least tell the diggers what we got, here," Sanji said with a sigh, flapping the bushy tail of his scarf with nervous action. "Then maybe they'll make a trip down here for themselves for what's valuable."

"Besides, finding living things in con-taint-ment units is something you should take with a side of caution," Zoro said. "They in there for a reason."

"Yeah, to survive the _war_!" Ussop pointed out impatiently.

"Just find the one with the girl in it, and - !"

"Could you keep that sick part of you to yourself?"

" _Look_ ," Ussop interrupted them, pushing away from the unit. "Let's look around more. All this talk got me _quaking_."

"Ain't nothing else to look at, when we seen it all," Sanji pointed out.

Zoro looked at him. "But you can find stuff we can't see."

"I ain't smell nothing in here that's new."

" _Bejabbers_ , you guys, you're giving me a headache," Ussop said tiredly, clutching his temples. He then caught sight of a separate color on the unit he was leaning on, and crouched down. Using his nail to clear away the dust and grime from the plate, he read "Kid". "Huh. This one's labeled as a 'kid'. What do the others say?"

Seeing that Ussop was onto something, Zoro and Sanji separated to find similar plates. They repeated the names they found.

"Perona…that's the girl, then," Zoro said with some consideration.

"I'm going to assume Kid's the one with the travel posters," Ussop said with a shrug.

"Maybe they were important ones – belonging to big shots on base," Sanji said, leaning against a unit marked 'Luffy'. "Spoiled brats that got to survive the war when everything else blew up."

"Like royalty?"

"Maybe."

Ussop scratched his forehead. "Well…how does that explain the mess we found?"

After seeing the others' shrugs, Ussop sighed heavily, looking over 'Kid's' unit with some thought. He pulled back, hands on his hips. "Let's let Robin know of this. She'll figure it out."

"I kinda want to press this button, here," Sanji said, eyeing a red toggle over a stained latch.

"DON'T DO IT!" Ussop screeched, his voice ringing out loudly within the enclosed space.

"It's mighty tempting," Zoro agreed, looking at the one just below his grasp. "I bet it don't do nothing."

" _STOP_!"

"Let me just press hers!" Sanji said, sidling up to Perona's tube with a cheeky expression. "I want to play with her button!"

"You dumb rantallion!" Zoro shouted at him, kicking him. In result, Sanji smashed up against the tube, effectively hitting the toggle. All of them froze for a few moments as they heard a loud click. A loud alarm rang out, causing Sanji to jump away, latching onto Zoro with startled action, Ussop already climbing up the other side of him for safety. Zoro stumbled under their weight, tripping over his own feet, the three of them slamming against Kid's tube. Ussop fell from Zoro, pushing in another toggle that gave the same alarm as it activated the locking mechanism.

"Well, might as well as do them all," Sanji said, brushing off his pants before reaching out and depressing the next two. Zoro and Ussop looked at him with shock, alarms ringing out as a sharp hissing sound cut through the stillness.

"Shitspray!"

" _Why did you do that_?"

"Let's keep it even! What's the worst that can happen?" Sanji scoffed, hands at his hips as another alarm sounded out, causing the glass to shake slightly. "If they're from two hundred years ago, they ain't any keen to what's happening, now! They'd _have_ to rely on us to get by, right?"

"Sounds smooth to me," Zoro said, the trio of them moving closer to the door as they watched what looked like steam rise up from the opened tubes.

Breathing heavily, Ussop watched the tube closest to him, barely blinking. " _Bejabbers_ …this is almost too wild for me."

"You babies, ain't nothing can keep for two hundred years, anyway!" Sanji scoffed. "I bet we'll only find bodies, inside."

Minutes passed as they continued to watch in silence, waiting for something to happen. But escaping air and the sound of draining fluids that rattled through old pipes kept them alert, watching the glass plating with nervous expressions. Zoro grew aware that both Ussop and Sanji were leaning heavily against him, as if keeping him between those in the pods and them. Eventually, one of the units started to move with a loud winding sound, the plating sucked into the metal frame, slowly revealing a sleeping young woman with vibrant pink hair.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: For this chapter's playlist, I used: "Interrogation/Lonesomesubway/Grimm'sHouse" by the Chemical Brothers, and "Dead Monks" by Akira Yamaoka.**

 **Cheers: Thank you for all your reviews! As for the Western AU – they are difficult to handle. But if they strummed up emotion and made you feel someway, then I still feel satisfied. One day I'll return to finish them. Hope this second chapter continues to hold interest!**

 **Naghi-tan: Thanks for looking out! The possibilities are practically endless for the start of this fic – and that couple will be unlike what I've written previously. D:**

 **: : Two**

Sanji sucked in a long inhale, venturing over to the unit to look in at her, expression delighted. She wore a dull pink bodysuit that covered her from neck to foot, her skin a pale ashen color. But as he looked over her facial features, he grew dismayed at what he found. Pulsing veins colored most of her skin around her eyes, jaw and neck, making him wince. They created a roadway map around her mouth, which twitched as her nostrils expanded slightly with a low inhale of breath. Her lashes fluttered before opening, revealing blackened orbs that glinted with the light around her. He drew back sharply with a stuttered gasp, stumbling back against Zoro before she jerked outward with an ear piercing screech, the trio clamping hands over their ears. The noise rattled around the metal of the room, vibrating and painful, her limbs jerking with spastic action around her. Her fingers reached up to her throat, clenching before she projectile vomited bright yellow liquid over her pod and onto the floor.

Next to her, the plating lowered to show a tall, pale man with heavy scarring over one eye. He sucked in a painful breath, then sputtered as she did, hacking violently before coughing up yellow goop that spilled over his black bodysuit.

" _FUCK_!" he screamed before erupting into violent coughing, lunging from his pod before realizing he was trapped inside. His arms were encased within straps that the others hadn't seen when his plating lowered. When he registered this, his struggles turned violent. He shouted out frustrated curses that none of them had ever heard before, his violence so intense that it rendered them rigid.

The other two coughed and sputtered as well, their hacking noises drawing their wide-eyed expressions their way. One was covered with a spithood that only trapped yellow vomit against his nose and mouth, causing him distress as he made to remove it, only to find his arms strapped down as well. The other pulled and strained against his bounds with hellish howls, rocking his entire unit with wall racketing sound.

"This wasn't a good idea," Sanji realized, horrified by the sight of the youngest man breaking his pod free from the wall with just his rocking, piping and concrete spilling outward in a shower of debris. In a loud clash of sound, the tube fell over the other's in front of him, spilling him towards the floor if his arms were still latched in.

The woman wiped her mouth, breathing in deeply as her male companions struggled. Perona looked at them, blinking heavy eyelashes. In those few moments, her eyes changed back to normal, the veins retracting from her skin's surface. She was the only one unrestrained, and she blinked with what looked like confusion as she looked over her wrists, as if expecting to see something there. She drew brilliantly pink nails over the surface of her suit, searching for something before her expression turned bright with relief.

A few moments later, she caught sight of the trio standing near the door. Ignoring the distress around her, she stared at them in silence, just as amazed to see them as they were with her. Her eyes coursed over them with a puzzled look, lingering at the sight of animal fur that made her mouth drop open with an awed expression. She then waited, as if expecting the trio to say something to her, and when nothing came, her confusion grew.

She lifted her arms, struggling to push aside the door. Her movements were sluggish without any strength, but because of her hellish rising, none of the trio wanted to move through the chaos to help her. Even Sanji hesitated, his natural instinct to help suppressed only by the sight of her as she'd awakened.

Above the sounds of males cursing, choking or howling, Perona demanded, "Who are you guys? You're not in any uniform. Are you enemies?"

Zoro cringed. "With a voice like that, we can do without her…"

"Hey! I can't help it!" she exclaimed, fumbling as she struggled to move her feet. She then gave an unsettling smirk directed to the trio. "If they die, it'll be good for you."

"Who are you?" Sanji asked curiously.

Struggling to stand on her own, she leaned heavily on her door, her entire body shaking as yellow vomit dried on her chin and uniform. She pushed her long pigtails out of her face with impatience.

"You woke us up for a reason," she said slowly, as if they were too stupid to understand. "So it must be that we're needed. _Correct_?"

Zoro and Sanji glanced at each other before looking at her with puzzled expressions. She ended up falling out from her pod with a surprised curse, flopping onto the floor in a jumble of limbs and landing in her own vomit. Breathing heavily with frustration, she released another ear piercing screech of outrage, whipping her head around to look at them. Both men were horrified as her head performed a 180 degree twist that would have been impossible for a human body to allow.

"Help me, you idiots! Don't just stand there!" she barked. "Where's the freaking doctors? Get them so they can help us out!"

"Let's get out of here!" Ussop hissed at the pair, speaking from the doorway.

She saw him, craning her head to do so. She hit the floor with an impatient fist. "Hey! _You_! Little man! Come here and help me!"

"I'm getting a bad vibe," Zoro told Sanji. Seeing the blond nod in agreement, Zoro said aloud, "We're just gonna take our leave, now. You'll see no harm from us."

"We're gonna bring some help," Sanji assured her, glancing at the pod on the floor that rattled with strength. The howls coming from it made his blood run cold. Something was ripping from inside of it, and he wanted to get away before whoever was in there could get free.

" _Luffy_!" Perona snapped. "Going berserk won't do anything for you! Those seastone cuffs are impossible to break!"

"Then how'd he do that?" Kid snapped at her, causing her pause to consider this. With a puzzled tone, he asked, "Did they even restrain him? Hey, how'd _you_ get out?"

"I didn't have any on me," she told him, bewildered. "I know I went to sleep with them on, but they weren't there when I woke up!"

Kid looked at the trio with a settling breath, but his face was brilliantly red with building emotion. If looks could kill, the three of them would've been dead.

He was not a 'kid' as Ussop had thought.

The one labeled 'Law' was in the spithood, but seemed to have calmed himself. His ragged breathing was immense, as if he'd just finished sprinting.

"Hey! Asshole!" Kid barked at Law. "You got restraints on?"

"Am I still in the pod?" came the sarcastic answer.

"It's too bad you didn't suffocate in there," Perona muttered, examining her nails. "Ugh, I'm so disappointed to see all your faces, again."

"Kid, what do you see?" Law asked.

"They're not Marines," the redheaded man said, furrowing his brow. He scanned over the trio's outfits with absolute scorn. "They're some sort of mountain people. Hey, Hills Have Eyes! This war over, yet?"

"He doesn't know!" Ussop realized aloud, whispering this mainly to the two older men in front of him. " _He doesn't know_!"

"You better let me out, you guys!" came a younger voice from inside the fallen pod. Panting breath came with it before he threatened, " _You better let me out_!"

"What was that sound, earlier?" Law asked.

"Luffy knocked his station down," Kid answered. "He must not have his restraints."

"Then why is he still making demands?"

"Okay, enough questions from you until I find out what the fuck's happening here!"

"Law? Kid? You guys still strapped down, too?" Luffy asked tightly. "I can't move my arms, but…it feels funny."

Perona made the effort to army crawl closest to his pod, looking up at him curiously. "He's strapped in, but…his restraints – he's missing them, too! I know we went to sleep with them! His straps are…not as sparkly as yours are, Kid."

"Someone must've visited us while we were sleeping," Law said thoughtfully. Kid smirked at him. "We were strapped in as procedure called for after the tulip's tantrum."

"Hey, they pissed me off!" Kid muttered. "Saying all that shit…"

"What now matters is that we're free because of those hicks standing there," Perona said, pushing herself into a seated position. "They talk like freaks – backwoods freaks! I'm surprised none of them are carrying any beer cans and missing any teeth!"

Swallowing tightly, finding that their accents were strange and unusual compared to theirs, Sanji listened with a troubled expression. Their slang made it difficult for him to understand what was being said, but it seemed that these people had been restrained before they were settled into the pods. The feel of making the mistake to free them started to weigh on his bones, and he looked to Zoro with worry, the man looking back at him with a troubled frown. Seeing their twin expressions of apprehension filled Ussop with utter anxiety.

The girl suddenly released an ear splitting screech that had all males cringing. She pounded at the floor with frustration, her face emblazoned with the return of darkly pulsating veins, her eyes once again blackened orbs. "None of them are moving! _None of them are moving_!"

"Well, they not dead, yet," Luffy assured her.

"Not _them_! The supply I was promised!"

"Ooh… _those_ guys…"

"This room is made entirely of sea stone, idiot!" Kid snarled at her.

"All these precautions because one of us decided he wasn't ready for bedtime," Law muttered.

"Shut your mouth, asshole! If I want to hear your damn opinion, I'd ask for it!"

"Why does your voice sound funny, Law?" Luffy asked curiously.

"I accidently spit on Sengoku when I was trying to reason with him – " Law tried to explain when Kid guffawed.

"' _Reason'_? You were cussing him out, the same way I was! Don't try to act like a good guy!" Kid laughed.

Perona managed to push herself up, reaching out onto Kid's pod to pull herself into a seated position. Panting lightly, she looked once more to the trio. Clearing her throat, she uttered, "Help me out of this room. _Now_."

"Let's run!" Ussop urged his companions, both of them making their way up to the stairs.

"They _do_ have that redneck tinge to their words, don't they?" Law said with amusement. "Are they draped with Southern flags and emblazoned with vehicle brands?"

"That's just mean stereotyping," Kid scolded him. "And they're not. They're serious mountain scum. Probably got their sisters to return home, to."

Eyebrows lifted with judgement, Perona muttered, "One of them's dressed like he's going hog-hunting in a lifted Chevy, another like some Western homo, and the last looks like he just left Coachella! It's so cute! Ah, but PETA wouldn't approve of their coats – it's mainly weird animal fur."

"Don't you dare go without letting us go!" Luffy screamed when he heard the sound of their moving footsteps, his voice reverberating against the floor. "You put us in here, _you let us out_!"

"Once we're squared on out of here, we'll send help," Zoro said with some uncertainty, Sanji pulling at the door.

"Did he just say 'square'?" Law asked with some building mirth.

"Don't you dare shut that door!" the redhead shouted at them, struggling once more. "I'll fuck you all up! _Let us out_!"

The trio slammed the door shut behind them, Zoro twisting the wheel. They couldn't hear their voices, anymore. Panting lightly, they sought to compose themselves, utterly ill at what they'd just experienced. They then quickly moved through the narrow corridor to leave the area. Once they emerged out into the living room, they were startled to see that the walls were bathed in warning yellow lights that flashed in tandem, making it difficult to see. It made alarm rise up within them, uncertain of what they'd unleashed.

"They called us 'Marines'," Sanji said thoughtfully, nervously fretting with his oxygen mask. "This was a Marine base."

"Why did they keep them like that? The three of them? They weren't the spoiled brats I was imagining them to be," Zoro stated.

"We can't open that door again, guys," Ussop said anxiously. "I have such a bad vibe! _They were in manacles_!"

"They used a lot of weird words, but their tone said everything," Zoro said.

"Whatever these cats are, we don't have what they need," Sanji said. "Let's go."

Ussop turned to eagerly lead the way when he realized something, stopping shut. "Guys…? The door. It's shut."

"Of course it is!" Zoro said impatiently, looking back at the room they'd just vacated.

"NO! The door out, it's _shut_!"

Once they caught sight of the main door, their movements faltered. Zoro strode ahead of them, reaching for the latch, and realizing that there wasn't any. He touched the walls, the door, searching by hand for something that would allow them out. Panic lit his veins as he realized that they were trapped.

Ussop freaked, beating against the door with his fists, kicking at it with his boots. Sanji stood in shock, eyes moving rapidly throughout the room, looking for a way to activate the lock to let them out. But there was nothing – no key card pad, no intercom, no visible vents to possibly escape through. Horror pulsed through his veins – who knew how much oxygen was available to them, and who knew if the others would be able to find them in time. Considering how far down underground they were, they wouldn't be able to radio out.

Hands to his hair, he struggled to think as Zoro joined Ussop at the door, both of them pushing at it with combined strength.

"We told those guys we were coming this way," he said breathlessly. "If we're not back by nightfall, they'll look for us. I think we'll be okay! There are two doors between us and those guys down there, it's not like they can get free."

"That door had a latch inside of it," Ussop pointed out, pacing away from the door as sweat dribbled down his face. "That girl was moving, she could free them!"

All of them gulped, looking at each other. Zoro turned and headed back towards the area they'd just escaped from. He opened it hastily, Ussop gaping at him from the living room while Sanji hurried after Zoro. "Then we need to get her out of there!"

"What are we going to do once we do?" Sanji asked Zoro as they moved quickly down the hall in single file.

"I don't know – kill her, or something," Zoro said, uncertainty laced on his features.

"We can't _kill_ her! Those guys back home will wanna talk to her! She's living proof of a world we've only seen through the digger's books!" Sanji exclaimed. "And besides that, we ain't never _ever_ taken anyone's life, before! How you going to do that?"

"Life or death, we have to choose us," Zoro told him, but his expression showed fear. Before they could near the door, it boomed noisily, as if heavy weight had slammed against it. His flashlight caught sight of the wheel turning ever so slightly, both of them looking at it with horror.

Sanji clasped onto his shoulders, whispering, "They been shackled by the _Marines_ for a reason!"

Zoro gulped audibly, then began pushing at him. "There are rooms we can hide! Change, find a place to hide! We have to wait this time out until the others can come!"

They ran back through the hall, and Zoro slammed the door shut as the wheel down the hall turned again, another boom echoing throughout the narrow space. Ussop was shaking as he saw their expressions, watching as they slammed the door shut and spun the wheel. Sanji reached out, prompting him to move.

"We have to hide," he urged the younger man, both of them moving towards the lit hallway where they'd explored the various living areas. With a trembling breath, Zoro studied the wheel before looking around himself. He spotted the leg of a broken end table, and jammed it between the spokes, uncertain if that would work. Then he hurried after the duo.

: :

It felt like they were relearning how to walk, again. Their bodies were extremely weak, so every movement felt like torture as they shuffled down the hall. It didn't help that they were bombarded with seastone walls, sapping them of their energy. It was truly their only weakness, and while it often left them listless and tired no matter where they were, it was a mental determination to continue on that kept their bodies moving. Perona led the way, thin legs wavering as she leaned heavily against one wall, exerting enough pressure to slide herself forward.

"They weren't Marines, so I'm sure they were enemy soldiers," she said, feeling sweat dribble down her neck. "Our base must've been hit first because word got out about the testing."

"Some big secret we were!" Kid scoffed.

"I can't wait to eat something," Luffy muttered, arms hanging at his sides as he trudged along slowly, bumping into Kid's back as the man paused in front of him to rest. "I don't wanna walk anymore. I don't wanna do this! Someone carry me…"

"Hurry up!" Law said impatiently, leaning against the wall.

"Will _someone_ use their goddamn powers to move us out of here?" Kid exclaimed, looking back at him pointedly. "If those hicks locked that damn door, I can't get enough out of me to open it!"

"I can do it myself, but I wouldn't have any more left in the reserves," Law said with a sigh.

"Something was wrong," Perona mumbled. "You shouldn't have been able to open that door. Not that I'm complaining, but that entire room was formed out of seastone. Someone must've fiddled with it to allow you the ability to move it."

"Yeah, you're right, I'm still weirded out by that one," Kid agreed with her. "And the fact that some of us were without restraints? Like, after the show we put on – "

"YOU!" the other three shouted at him, causing him to shrug.

" – they weren't in the mind to help any of us. We were… _helped_." He said the last word with bewilderment before looking back at Law. Law shrugged.

"Whose fucking idea was it to make this hall this way?" Kid then roared, pounding on it with a fist.

Luffy slumped to his knees with a heavy sigh. "I can't do anymore walking…I'm so hungry. I'm so weak _and_ so hungry…!"

" _Duh_! They did it so that in case we broke out, we couldn't go flying down the hall like a big ole gang!" Perona told Kid over one shoulder. "Man, you guys stink! I hate you all!"

"I can't wait to take a shower," Law said with a sigh.

"Lush bathbombs, here I come!" Perona squealed.

"Get us out of here with your spindly arms," Kid told Law, gesturing at the door.

In moments he was standing outside of it, looking around the living room with a frown. Once he saw that the main door was closed, he shook his head. But it made him wonder how it was that some of them hadn't been restrained properly. The memory of Corazon hit him unexpectedly, causing him to turn and look towards the lit corridor leading to the main officers of their bunker. The tall man's last expression told Law so many things – but he didn't understand what it meant. The stillness of the area unsettled him, and he exhaled low, finding the energy needed to grab the wheel. He scowled down at the table leg jammed into it, then looked up again. It was a useless gesture – it didn't inhabit the wheel's movement in the least. But one of those hicks had done it to give them time.

' _Precautions will be taken once you're under_ ,' Corazon's voice told him suddenly, as if the man were standing right next to him.

The alarm lights were warning personnel that they were free. Once it had been activated, it shut every door to the outside world to keep the four of them quarantined. His lips curled slightly. There were only so many places in this bunker that a soul could hide. He grabbed both ends of the table leg, and grunted as he forced the last of his strength into turning it. The wheel creaked noisily before giving, allowing him to spin it open. Kid pushed his way out, Perona and Luffy stumbling out with tight breaths.

Scanning the living room with dejection, Kid muttered, "Maybe I shouldn't have got so pissed. Why did nobody clean it up?"

"They can't get out," Law told him.

Kid gave him a puzzled look.

"Those hicks. They're in here, too."

Understanding lit Kid's features, and he grinned. "Then let's go find them!"

"I'm _hungry_!" Luffy whined, army crawling towards the lit corridor. "Let's eat!"

"I'm going to take a bath, first," Perona announced, stumbling towards her room. "Hey, why's my stuff on the floor? KID!"

"Well, you didn't put it away when I sent the couch flying, so it's partly your fault!"

" _Cretin_! My makeup! My iPad! You're a real jerk! You broke it!"

"Calm down, they'll replace that shit."

Law turned away from the door. He then watched as Luffy crawled towards the kitchen, whining the entire way. Rolling his eyes, he shuffled towards his room. Not even a moment after he touched his closet door, Perona's screech filled the entire bunker, causing him to cringe.

"MY STUFF! IT'S ALL _RUINED_! IT'S FALLING APART!"

He walked into his closet, noticing the fade of colors on his clothing. When he reached out to touch it, the material felt brittle, stiff. Something was wrong.

" _IT'S ALL GONE_!"

He turned to his shoes with horror, reaching out to draw back his Vans. The rubber had wilted and curdled, breaking at the edges, so the soles fell to the floor upon shifted weight. He was left holding onto the insert of a shoe, bits of cotton leaving puffy dust on his fingers. He reached out to scrape his fingers into one of the shelves, and saw only a faint trace of dust.

" _There's no food_!" Luffy's wail nearly mirrored Perona's, echoing out into the bunker like a ghoulish howl. "THERE'S _NOTHING_!"

"What the fuck is happening?" Kid demanded, standing outside of Law's door, looking at his decomposing boots with bewilderment. "All of my stuff is falling apart! This sort of disintegration is weird! They put something in our air, again?"

Law didn't know what to say, shrugging. He looked down at his bodysuit, then at his clothes with reluctance. He saw the book he had been reading still atop of his bed, and reached for it. The pages were yellowed and withered, but Corazon had left him a note on a page.

 _We're evacuating. There is a key under the big medical cabinet. Be good_.

Processing this, he couldn't imagine what had happened to cause the personnel to evacuate the bunker. In the chaos of Kid's tantrum that day, they hadn't forced them into the stations for 'time-out' – they were storing them, waiting for a chance to come back later to retrieve them. But how long ago was that?

"Something…is wrong," he said slowly. "They left us here."

" _Duh_ ," Kid said impatiently, Perona's wailing and Luffy's howls in the background.

For a few moments, Law struggled to get his thoughts together. Closing the book and replacing it, he said, "Those hicks are still here. They came in here from the outside, they should have an idea of what to expect when we get out."

" _How_?" Kid asked, waving an arm around him. "All these years here, none of us can get out!"

"Cora left us a key."

Stilling, Kid's eyes widened. Shuffling out of his room, Law tried to block out Perona's sobs, and the racket coming from the kitchen told him Luffy was throwing a fit of his own. Used to these noises, Law looked around the living room, searching for hiding spaces. The pair of them then slowly made their way to the corridor nearby, eliminating the kitchen due to Luffy's tantrum that had him currently pulling cabinet doors down, ripping apart shelves. The refrigerator was on the floor. Looking into the medical ward, Law frowned at the mess that made it difficult for anyone to enter. Cabinets were tossed to the floor, supplies spilled out. Not that anything was salvageable. But the cabinet Corazon had mentioned was in the very back, where the ward had a door activated only with a key card that allowed personnel to exit the bunker and make their way to the office upstairs.

It had been years since he'd been up there. He wondered if it still looked the same.

He moved to join Kid when he saw something unusual. The glint of a gold coin, barely visible underneath the remains of an examination table. Crouching awkwardly, Law peered underneath, making a puzzled frown as he realized it was a pile of clothes and a bag. He reached in and pulled them out, utterly perplexed at the unusual garments he found. The tail of a fox had been decorated with some glass beads and coins that had a dull gleam to them. They were the shape of dimes – painted over with a tarnish of gold. The shirt was made of cottony fabric, but stitched thick with an odd thread that felt like plastic under his touch. It was faded at the elbow and shoulders, the material worn thin where it had been rolled so many times. The vest was in good shape – but the stitching wasn't professional like those he was familiar with, and when he examined the size, it seemed fitting that they belong to those of a teenager.

He opened up the bag, surprised at the smell of tobacco. It reminded him of Corazon. Inside were cloth bags holding what looked to be various roots, dull cutting tools, a tobacco bag with unusual rolling paper. He found a flashlight and a field oxygen mask that looked as if it had been repaired too many times, the straps formed out of leather rather than rubber. He slowly restuffed the bag, then looked at the medical room. If this belonged to one of the hicks, then were they running about _naked_?

A light scratch of sound from further into the ward caught his attention, but it had been so slight that he wondered if he even heard it at all. He gathered everything under one arm and shuffled out from the room, listening for Kid. Hearing movement from the gym, he walked in to see him moving beyond the basketball court, causing the lights to activate as they illuminated the swimming pool. Joining him, Law saw that the water was gone, and that the entire space was a discolored emptiness. The area around it was clear, and Law looked up, but he knew he'd see nothing up there. This bunker had been designed to keep possible weaponry out of their hands, and every wall embedded with sea stone, so that their powers were considerably subdued.

Kid saw what he was carrying, and gave a puzzled look. "That's one of theirs. Those guys are small, I don't know if they're just kids, or what. They look and sound young – probably Luffy's age."

"Why is he running around _naked_?"

Kid blew his cheeks out, arms in a shrug. "I…I don't know anything. Beats me."

They left the gym, and looked into the library. Kid looked at Law pointedly, the older man shrugging. "They wouldn't give me the ones I'd requested, so I thought I'd have them start from scratch."

"This was why Sengoku wound up with a loogie to the face?"

Law smirked without saying anything in response.

Walking on, they found it difficult to investigate the other rooms due to the damage and headed back to the living room. Perona had thrown herself onto her bed, sniffling, while Luffy sat in the kitchen, staring listlessly ahead of him with a hand over his stomach.

Sitting on what remained of the couch, Law exhaled heavily, leaning his head back to rest. Kid sat on the loveseat, drained of what energy he'd had. In silence, they ran through their last memories before being forced into sleep. Their life in this bunker had been their only true memories. They were products of research, but not only were they test experiments, but they were prisoners. None of them had seen the outside world in years; none of them had family to care for. They were raised for one thing, and that was to aid in the country's war against building opponents. Their goal was to conquer and win.

But it didn't make sense for the base to be evacuated, and that Corazon had left behind a key.

If the man had felt compelled to do so, then things were worse off than they'd thought.

Law considered that it was Corazon that had made the adjustments after Sengoku left, then left the matter in God's hands.

Building anxiety grew inside of him as he stood up from the couch, setting aside the clothes. "Let's look for that key. You have some energy left?"

"Man, I have nothing," Kid complained. "I don't want to move."

"This key will get us out of here," Law said. "It's underneath the cabinet near the door."

"The one that leads up to the office?"

"That same one."

"Noice." Kid rose from the chair, wobbling in place for a few moments before they walked towards the medical ward. Together they began moving what they could towards the doorway, just to clear enough room towards the back office. The medical ward had four different rooms that catered especially towards them as an individual. They were in the main lobby of the ward, but Kid had drawn in various objects towards him that day he threw a fit. As he and the other man were propping up a heavy medicine cabinet, something caught Law's eye. He looked just in time to see an animal skirting out from the ward with a key card in its mouth. He dropped his end, Kid crying out with alarm as he was forced to drop his side.

"There's an _animal_ in here! With the key!" Law exclaimed.

"Dude, you're trippin'!"

The sudden sound of Luffy shouting out with joy caused them to wince. " _FOOD_! I saw _FOOD_ running away!"

"Now, _he's_ trippin'!" Kid scoffed.

"He saw it, too, then it's real! That kid doesn't know how to lie!" Law said, hurriedly making his way to the door. He saw Luffy shuffling as fast as he could towards the end of the corridor, drooling as he clawed up against the wall to keep himself moving. "Where'd it go?"

Luffy glared back at him from over his shoulder, then propped himself into the middle of the corridor. "It's _mine_."

"I don't want to eat it! It has the key, you imbecile!"

"Don't you touch it, Law! It's _mine_! _I'm_ going to eat it!" Luffy snapped at him, baring his teeth.

"Get out of the way, it's going to hide where we can't catch it!"

"You just want it for yourself, but it's mine! _It's all mine_! I'm not sharing!"

"You little shit, _get out of the way_!"

"Luffy!" Kid barked at him, the kid turning to face them both, growling noisily. "It has the key to get out of here! Don't you want to get out? Christ, you're so fucking annoying!"

Perona peeked out of her room to see the confrontation, curious as to what they were shouting about. It had been once funny to see how cautious the two men were with the younger one, due to size and circumstance, but Luffy's reputation was something less than amusing. Their powers couldn't work against each other, but there was something about Luffy that made him a failed project. His strength was enormous without his abilities.

As weak as they were, neither man would be a match against Luffy or his instincts.

As they were arguing, Luffy lunging at them just to drive them back, she caught sight of a small, pale colored fox slinking up from one room and entering another with a key card in its mouth. She was so shocked to see a real animal that she first sputtered wordless noises. _Then_ she realized what it was carrying.

" _LUFFY_!" she shrieked noisily, causing all of them to wince. Running over, she inhaled a deep breath and screamed at the top of her lungs. Luffy covered his ears, cringing against the wall while the other two made to do the same. But once Law recovered, he dashed past Luffy, Perona quickly pointing out the room the fox had run into.

"It's so _fluffy and beautiful_!" she barked, peering in the ruins of what had been a theater room. Half of it had theater seats facing an IMAX screen, with the other half filled with video games, arcade games, a pool table, and other forms of entertainment. It was nearly the size of the medical ward, but colored brilliantly, with flat screens on each wall. With the mess Kid left and the lack of energy they needed to sort through it, it gave the fox plenty of places to hide from them. She dropped to the floor, peering through tunnels caused by fallen arcade games, the pool table in shambles off to the left. She saw the bushy end of a tail flitting underneath a couple of machines that had PacMan running across them. Her eyes sparkled. "I _WANT_ IT! I _NEED_ IT FOR A PET!"

Grumbling as he bent down onto his knees to peer through the same tunnel she was, Law clenched his fists. He only wanted the key card. For the creature to make off with it as it had, he wondered if it were in any way connected to the clothes he'd found in the medical ward.

"I don't have much," he muttered, settling back on his knees. "So be fast."

Perona nodded, prepping herself to run when he formed a Room, and lifted all the debris from the floor, shoving the heavier pieces aside. The fox looked shocked, dropping the key card with a startled gekker before Perona raced towards it. It froze with fright at her approach, then recovered to grab the key card, turning to run away from her when a blur shot past her. Luffy tackled it to the floor with a wild yell.

Law couldn't hold onto the Room long enough, and it dissipated as he heaved a breath of effort, utterly fatigued. The mess he'd just sorted aside came crashing down, Perona shouting as she raced back to where he was to avoid being hit. Luffy hugged onto the squealing fox tightly, intending on taking a large bite out of it before being hit by a zombie shooter game that knocked him to the floor, forcing a release of the animal. The fox scrambled through the falling rain of metal, intending on shooting past Law and Perona. Law made to grab at it, but he was much too slow. Perona dove towards it, but her fingers missed it by inches. The fox shot out of the room, the pair giving frustrated curses.

A frightened squeal rang out, Kid showing himself moments later within the doorframe, holding the fox by the scruff of is neck. The key card was in his other hand. "Guess y'all weren't lying about this thing."

"GIVE IT TO ME!" Luffy bellowed, plowing past the fallen arcade games, ripping aside parts of the pool table. Seeing his crazed expression, Perona squeaked and hurried out of the room. Law just accepted his fate, too exhausted to move as the younger man burst through the mess. Kid looked at him warily, the fox trying to scratch and bite, flinging itself wildly in his grasp in an attempt to escape. "THAT'S _MY_ FOOD! KKKIIIDDDD!"

"Jeez, calm down, you can have it," Kid said with exasperation, intending on throwing the hapless animal to Luffy when Perona snatched it out of his grasp, using her hand to clamp its snout closed so it wouldn't bite her. Kid hurried out of the way as she went racing down the hall, Luffy charging after her.

Not even a few feet from him, the teen staggered, stumbled, then hit the floor with a heavy exhale, having exhausted of all his reserves. At the slam of a door shutting and a lock falling into place, Kid rolled his eyes.

He then showed Law the key. "Let's get," he said.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks for the interest in this fic, Naghi-Tan, RR, Cheers, Snowflake97 (long time, no see! Welcome back!) and Happy Balon! Your Sanji questions will be answered/confirmed, here! Now, to finish 'Replica'!**

 **Playlist: "While Waiting," by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, "I'm Going Home", and "Sent Here For A Reason", by Hans Zimmer.**

 **: : Three**

Perona rummaged hastily through her drawers as the fox squirmed mightily under her arm. It released continuous squealing noises that were high pitched and squeaky, struggling to dislodge her fingers from his snout. The small, pale animal was one of the most cutest she'd ever seen, asides from the kittens…but _that_ was a memory she'd rather forget. Large triangle-shaped ears dominated its tiny face, blond fur covering its body until turning dark brown at the end of its tail. Its long legs were tipped with sharp claws that didn't retract like a cat's – something she thought it would do. Light brown eyes stared up at her with fear, but they looked so much larger with a mask-like coating of pale blond around them. Its nostrils twitched as it sucked in air, sides heaving with distress before launching into terrified squeals.

She was a little confused at this particular species – she was positive it as a fox, but she'd only seen them on television, and those were orange and brown. Considering its size, she figured it was a baby and its family had to be hiding in the bunker, somewhere. She would have to make the effort to track them down.

She hummed happily as she found what she needed. She sat down on the floor, using her legs to squeeze him tight. She awkwardly forced the ribbon around her fingers, then quickly tightened the straps once she released his mouth. She tied it shut, then added another ribbon, the fox squirming and uttering terrified noises as he fought to be free. After making a bow that rested within its long whiskers and fell down along the sides, she patted the top of his head, smoothing down his fur with aggressive patting.

"I am going to dress you up! Make you look so _cute_ , Luffy won't want to eat you!" she squealed in a baby-voice, tweaking his ears and hugging him so tight that he uttered a grunt. She hurried to her closet with him under her arm, finding a belt that she wrapped around his neck, tightening it with an extra knot so that he couldn't slip free from it. He seemed to wheeze and whistle at the same time, using his back legs in an effort to scratch at it, but she forcefully straightened him out, smoothing his legs underneath her arm to keep him positioned firmly against her.

Because all of her tulle and lace dresses had fallen apart at her touch, she searched for something in her drawers that maintained some semblance of shape. She found a bare camisole that didn't fall apart in her hands and wrestled it over him, tying the excess material tight around his back to create more bows. Studying him, noting that he looked very ashamed, she decided he needed _more_.

By the time she emerged cautiously from her room, seeing that Luffy was still in the hall moaning for the return of his food, Law and Kid were nowhere to be seen. She held her unwilling prisoner up over her head. She'd bound his front paws together with more ribbons so he couldn't scratch her, and while she'd wrapped the belt around her other hand, she didn't trust that the fox would stay put if she put him down. His tail was curled underneath him with shame, but even that had a bright pink ribbon tied near the end of it.

" _Look_ at this cuteness!" she demanded. "You cannot eat him! His name is Max, and he's my new pet!"

Luffy frowned at her, his expression showing so much dejection that she knew she'd won. His stomach growled noisily, nearly echoing within the corridor. " _Aw_ …that's not fair… _that's not fair_ …he's food! He's the _only_ food we have…!"

"Not if he's wearing clothes! Wearing clothes means he's nearly a person," she said haughtily. "Max will be with me from now on."

"That's so _stupid_! You can't have a pet! You have to feed it! We can't even feed _us_!"

"Law has the key to get out," she told him, heading for the medical ward. Once she saw that only Kid was attempting to move the heavy stuff around, Law sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, she held the fox above her head. "Look upon my newest cutie, Max!"

"Oh, _God_ ," Kid uttered with horror, turning away from his task. "It even knows how stupid it looks!"

"Might as well kill it to put it out of its misery," Law mumbled.

"You guys are just jealous," Perona said snootily, running her fingernails over the fox's head. "Are we close to getting out, yet?"

"Not exactly," Kid said, hands on his hips. "I'm done. Unless you want to take over."

"Hold him," Perona told Law, shoving the fox onto his lap. Rigid, not knowing how to hold an animal, Law awkwardly placed his palms over the animal's spine. It uttered squeaking noises that were sure to be noisy if its mouth were free. He could feel its entire body shaking against him with fear and agitation. Its fur was soft, but bristly at the same time. It looked at him with large brown eyes, lashes blinking slowly as its ears lowered close to its scalp. It was kind of cute. Tentatively, he rubbed the soft, short fur up its snout and between its eyes, hearing it utter dejected noises.

Perona marched to the table Kid was struggling with, and strained mightily to lift it. Kid laughed at her, so she turned and kicked him in the shin before retrieving her captured animal from Law, tucking it back under her arm. "What's the point of having strong, manly men around if you can't do strong, manly things? _Losers_."

"We're going to have to either rest for a few hours, or continue looking for those damn hicks to do this for us," Law grumbled, plucking fur off his legs and examining it closely.

"I can't wait that long, Law," Luffy whined from the doorway, still on the floor. "I'm so hungry…all I want is food, I can't think good!"

"None of us can!" Kid snapped at him.

Luffy stared at the fox in Perona's grasp, drooling. The fox stared back at him, Perona stroking its head as she frowned back at the boy. "I bet that thing tastes like those kittens…it _looks_ like a kitten…warm and juicy - !"

Perona shuddered as she was reminded of that moment. "Ugh, you're so _nasty_!"

"As a creature of instinct, he reacts on them first without even considering the consequences of his actions," Law murmured, rubbing at his goatee. "If he thought it could be considered tasty, what's to stop him from taking a bite?"

"Common fucking sense!" Perona snapped at him. "You just don't _bite_ into animals, wondering what they taste like!"

"I don't recall ever being taught that was wrong while living down here. Have you?" Law asked Kid, who shrugged. "We were instructed on the things _they_ considered important to them, and inserting things like 'common sense' or 'second thought' wasn't part of the syllabus. They only trusted that we develop our senses sensibly, but forgot what types of people we are."

"Am I able to retrieve my babies?" Perona asked.

"This is a master – it'll unlock that door," Law assured her, flashing the key.

Kid crossed his arms, looking down at the fox, who seemed to tremble violently under his gaze. Kid's stomach rumbled noisily as he wondered what sort of meat the fox had – considering the amount of fur it had, he had to guess that the creature was too thin to have much muscle. Perona held the animal tight to her chest, using both arms to cover it.

"You guys are scaring him, he's shaking!" she exclaimed.

"It must feel our thoughts," Kid said with a thoughtful grin. "I'm thinking it's all white meat."

"Perhaps it tastes like porkchops," Law mused.

"Every bit of it is meat," Luffy told them. Perona swallowed tightly, looking down at the animal with a troubled frown. Her stomach growled noisily, causing her cheeks to redden with embarrassment.

Holding it out at arm's length, she studied the frightened creature with a tilt of her head. It was coiled tightly in itself, the whites of its eyes visible as its sides heaved, tail curled against the length of its underside. Despite adoring the creature, her stomach growled noisily once again. She pressed her cheek against the back of its head, nuzzling with affectionate noises.

" _He's so cute_! But if it were able to break in, then that means there's more out there," she said. "And if so, I would want a girl fox to make this number more even."

"That's the spirit!" Kid told her, reaching out for it. She sighed reluctantly as she pressed kisses against the soft fur before holding the fox up to pass the creature to him. "I'll kill it and start the stove. Or the oven?"

"Both," Law said, rising to stand unsteadily. "I'll take a baked hind quarter."

"Maybe just a front leg," Perona decided, Luffy perking up once he realized what they intended on doing. "Don't kill it in front of me! I'm going to get so _sad_ watching it die!"

"That's funny, coming from you," Kid told her.

The fox flailed wildly in mid-pass, using his back legs to scratch her arms, causing her to screech as she reacted. She dropped him to the floor, Kid lunging to catch it as the fox ran awkwardly towards the mess, the belt trailing along behind it. Law quickly dove to catch the trailing piece of leather, yanking it back harshly as Perona wailed over the scratches on her arm.

Holding onto the costumed creature tightly in one hand, Law turned to head to the kitchen when he realized Luffy was missing from the doorway. He figured he'd already ran to the kitchen, and thought nothing more about his disappearance. Kid snickered over Perona's wounds, both of them examining the injury as Law walked out. He looked down at the whimpering fox with admiration, labeling it as a 'Fennec Fox'. He'd seen pictures of it in one of Luffy's animal books, but had never any interest in furthering his knowledge about the creature.

He looked up just in time to feel something heavy bounce off the back of his head, knocking him completely off his feet. He dropped the fox. His head whirled with disorientation and heavy, throbbing pain, rattled enough to lose track of his thoughts. He felt hands moving over him roughly, forcing him onto his side before dropping him back to the floor.

The thought that Luffy attacked him wasn't a surprising one – Luffy had done it before. But it wasn't Luffy that scooped up the fox, running down the hall to stuff the key card into the slot of the door leading to the bunker's training center. Law tried to utter a sound, point out the intruder with his finger, but he couldn't arrange his thoughts properly. He could only groan, hearing Kid laugh and Perona complain about the lack of sympathy to her injury. Moments later, that door opened, and someone else swept passed him hastily – the hicks were making their escape into the training center, and it was to their disadvantage to do so.

The hick with the ponytail paused, ran back to scoop up the clothes and bag Law had found and left on the couch, and rejoined his friends. The door quietly shifted back into place as Kid and Perona's voices finally began to move towards the hallway.

"Ah, dammit, Luffy!" Kid shouted impatiently, striding over Law while Perona kicked the older man's legs.

"You're such an _idiot_!" she whined. "He's going to eat the entire thing raw, you know."

Law couldn't answer, reaching up to find the growing lump at the back of his head.

"LUFFY! Give it back! You have to share with the rest of us! LUFFY - ! Oh… _Perona_!"

" _Whhhaa_ attt?"

Law looked up to see both of them peering into the kitchen, wearing expressions of dismay. He exhaled heavily, feeling mortified that the pair of them were taken out by mountain-bred hicks.

: :

Breathing heavily, Ussop led the way as Zoro removed the belt and ribbon from the fox. The lights illuminated a very sterile environment that they had yet to explore. The massive, ballroom sized-rooms here were carved from either the mountain side, displaying an adventurous course of obstacles that had stains visible from the walkway, or copies of city streets, complete with vehicles, building obstacles, and working street lights. It was as if they were walking into some sort of museum display that had managed to preserve the past in each room. Further down was a door marked with more warning signs, yellow lights flashing over them.

"What is this place?" Ussop whispered, looking into a room that displayed a desert setting. It contained sand, cacti, towering sagebrush that were impossibly realistic.

Zoro crouched, and released the fox from his grasp. "How it feel, being held by a princess?"

The fox's limbs shifted outward, animal features disappearing to reform into a naked body, Sanji exhaling forcefully. Ussop tossed him his clothes as Zoro straightened away from him.

"Not what I'd thought," Sanji answered him tightly, hastily pulling on his trousers, hopping awkwardly to shove naked feet into his boots. "I thought it was gonna be a bit more magical than that."

"You forgot something," Zoro said, holding up a coil of ribbons as he finished dressing. Sanji kicked it out of his hand, much to the man's amusement.

"I almost got _eaten_ , and you're making light of it!"

"This _must_ be an exit!" Ussop said, running to the door ahead of him. He used the key card, the lights turning a flashing red, alarm chirping in warning. It caused the three of them to react with fright, looking behind them to see if they were being followed by the others. Zoro and Sanji joined Ussop into opening the door, all of them hit with a wave of putrid, thick air. A wave of cold swept through them, a generator kicking up with a rusty groan before shuddering and dying moments after sounding out.

Looking into the room, they were stunned to see a couple of rows of pods – built differently from the ones they'd released the others from, showing seven men in strange stages of decomposition. Horrified, the three of them took in the sight of rotting faces, skin darkened and damaged from the neck down. They wore uniforms – differing from labwear to security guards, with one lone man in camouflage in the back.

" _Dead bodies_ ," Ussop whispered with horrified awe.

"Why keep them in pods?" Sanji wondered aloud, leaning up against Zoro as Zoro stared with disbelief.

Ussop pushed against the pair and slammed the door shut, spinning the wheel. They heard the squeak of the wheel behind them. The three of them looked around themselves, scanning for the possibility of escape. Seeing none, they hastily made their way back down the hall. Ussop ushered them into the cityscape, all of them looking around themselves with wonder.

The wasteland had only given them the skeletons of these structures, and the archeologists' had books that had given them pictures. Zoro reached out and touched a rusted car, the paint still preserved, glass cracked, but the seats inside were still with their original material, untouched by time. Sanji stared up at the towers, built five stories high, noting the way the light above reflected over one-sided windows. An open doorway showed him an empty lobby, and a stairway heavily shadowed at the top. Ussop reached down and touched the asphalt, picking at the shards of glinting rock embedded within the mixture. The streetlights switched from red to green, pedestrians encouraged to cross along some striped lines. There were at least two blocks worth of buildings, cheery signs out on windowpanes detailing insurance offices to apartments.

The door creaked open from the hall behind them, Perona's laughter ringing out ominously. The three quickly scattered to hide – Ussop running for what looked like a police department, Zoro to an open garage, Sanji for the multi-story building.

"My babies!" Perona screeched, running down the hall, Kid taking the time to look into each diorama before pausing at the city scape. He watched as Perona fought with the door that the others had looked into earlier, then off to the side to see Law struggling to rise from the corridor. Luffy's snores were ringing out noisily from the kitchen. Crossing his arms, he leaned against the cityscapes' door, waiting for Perona to act.

Five minutes later she emerged from the backroom, wearing her 'mask' – an indication that her powers had been activated. The seven men that had been encased within their pods shuffled outward, uttering strange clicking noises as their limbs twitched, bodies jerking with rusty movement. Perona was breathing tightly, straining to keep her focus as she leaned heavily against the wall.

" _Find them_!" she uttered, the bodies snapping to attention.

Kid watched as they suddenly shifted into harsh running, chirping and chittering, completely ignoring him as they raced into the cityscape. They paused within the center of the street, uttering noises as their bodies continued to twitch, Perona's breath turning strained before the bodies collapsed in a pile.

"I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH ENERGY!" she shrieked with frustration.

"But they ran in here, so it's safe to assume they're in here," Kid assured her, walking into the cityscape. Perona collapsed against the wall, moaning as exhaustion rendered her limbs into jelly.

"I'm hungry," she then complained. "I'm hungry _and_ tired!"

The pile of zombies, or 'ghosts' as Perona liked to call them, smelled like they had been sitting in the sun for awhile. Kid covered his nose and mouth, eyes watering as he was assaulted by the scent coming from them. He looked around himself – while the buildings were formed as they were, they lacked a complete model. The highest tower at five stories, was only two floors, the rest of it a high ceiling and a narrow stairway to the top floor – _that_ was only a metal catwalk to one of the windows. The others were only a floor each, with two large rooms that retained basic furniture. It was only created to simulate a city scape for their practice battles. It didn't give a lot of options for anyone to hide for very long.

Which was good, because he was the only one left standing. He couldn't use his powers, but based on the way these three were moving, they weren't fighters of any type. They were running scared. Typical of _normal_ people. The Marines had known and trained themselves to handle the four with extreme prejudice if they had to, with Sengoku being the only one with the ability to render force.

Now that the Marines weren't in control, there was no way to hold the four back. Not without their restraints. Those had been left behind in the station room, Perona finding the key tossed into the seat of her station, having used them to remove the cuffs from the others. He lifted his wrist to see the permanent indentations there, years of having them there causing damage that never seemed to heal properly.

The thought of finally being outside, of being _free_ , rendered a strange sort of hesitation deep inside of him. He didn't have memories of being outside this bunker – but he was eager to be his own person, follow his own rules. As the others did, he was sure.

"I don't know why you're hiding from us," he said, raising his voice to be heard throughout the cityscape, "we want out just as bad, you know!"

Hearing nothing but his own voice echoing through the streets, he listened for any sign of movement from around him. He became aware of effort behind him, glancing over his shoulder to seeing Law prop himself against the doorframe, wearing an exhausted expression. He'd dragged Luffy along behind him, the teen snoring loudly. Perona crawled towards them, complaining the entire time before she laid out at the man's feet.

"There's no way out but through us, so you might as well as come out and have a few words with us," Kid added, taking a seat on the warm pavement. "I'm warning you now, once we get enough energy to move around again, don't think we'll hold back on destroying everything just to find you! There's no one here to tell us 'no'!"

At the intense weight of silence, he scoffed. As the minutes passed, he started to grow impatient, eyes coursing from building to building, looking for any sign of life. He looked back at Law, gritting his teeth. The man shrugged in response, Perona glaring out at the cityscape.

Growing frustrated, Kid rose to his feet, bellowing, "We've done _nothing_ to warrant fear over us! You don't know what we've been there to get here! You ever consider that we've been nothing but prisoners our entire life? You're gonna leave this place with that on your conscience?"

He then sat heavily, feeling winded, vertigo making his head spin. He flopped onto his side with irritation, glaring at the dirty gutters ahead of him, noting the ruin of rubber tires of the sedan parked there. Wearing a terse expression, Law studied the buildings, Luffy's snores wearing on his thinning nerves. Perona had propped her chin upon her palm, but her limb was shaking – eventually, she pillowed her head upon her folded arms with a long sigh.

The sound of moving footsteps caught their attention. A startled bird call rang out, moving with succession until finally revealed as frantic whistling being sputtered by dry lips.

Law caught sight of a green haired man revealing himself from a cross street, then caught sight of a blond emerging from the building nearby. They seemed to move in tandem, wearing expressions of uncertainty as they looked to each other, then at the others at the doorway. His brow crinkled because they were _young_ – but they were dirty, thin and weathered, as if they'd spent their time outside most of their lives. Their animal coats were unusually colored – he recognized the fox, but the hide the other man wore was spotted and larger than any animal he knew of. He was immediately drawn to the fox because of the reappearance of the clothes he'd taken from the medical ward, eyes lingering over the dirty blond hair.

Perona hissed. "Ugh, _dirty_!"

Kid sat up, glaring at the pair of them as they drew towards each other with high tension on their features. " _Boys_ ," he greeted snidely. "All we want is out. All this energy wasted over your foolish stupidity!"

"We don't know _nothing_ why you're in here," the green one muttered.

"Ain't no records to read what this place is," the other said. Both of their accents and speech made Law's brain recoil, Perona uttering a judgmental grunt. "Y'all are in manacles. That says something."

"You're underground, with nothing on top to say what's been done, here."

"We don't know what kinda people you supposed to be."

"The main building has all the signs and appearance of a Marine operated facility!" Kid snapped at them. "What are you saying, you 'don't know what this place is'? You had to break in just to check us out, right? There's a zillion locks and codes to bypass just to come down here! Don't give me that shit!"

"Ain't nothing like that," Zoro muttered. "There's nothing on top. Just a door. We broke in to loot it. Would've never found it if it wasn't for that fire. We weren't looking for human beings living here."

"Would've walked on by if them trees weren't burnt down."

"What's that dumb ass excuse even mean? This facility is impenetrable! Fireproof, bullet proof, _everything_ proof! There was a reason why we were stored underneath it! What, you're saying it's not there, anymore? How is that even possible? Trees can't grow through asphalt or the foundation – there wasn't any trees anywhere on the base that I remember!"

The blond nudged the green. "Tell 'em."

The green nudged back. " _You_."

Kid made to stand up, and they moved away with skittish action. But the man could no longer pull himself to his feet, so he wasn't able to do much but speak with frustration. Law gave him a look of impatience, Perona snorting.

The pair continued to nudge each other, whispering hastily until green shoved the blond forward. The jingle of the coins on his scarf rang out. It was impossible for Law to stop staring at him – there was something familiar about those eyes, but he wasn't sure if it reminded him of the fox, or of Corazon. Stuffing his gloved hands into his pocket, looking like a disgruntled child, the blond muttered, "There ain't nothing up there cuz…Ussop says it's been two hundred years since then."

"I didn't say that exactly!" a voice rang out from somewhere to the left. "I didn't say that!"

"Anyway, it's been – we found this journal with pictures in it. The date said, um, before the bombs dropped," Sanji continued clumsily.

Kid stared at him incredulously, then looked back at the others. Law and Perona just looked even more tired than before. Kid looked back at the man, and burst out laughing. The blond just stared at him warily, hands removed before laying flat on his side.

"You inbred, or something? What a crock! 'Two hundred years', hah! Little brat, you're lucky I'm sitting, otherwise, I'd bitch slap the hell out of that peach fuzz you have on your chin. HAH! Hey! He's saying we been down here for two hundred years!"

"L-O-L!" Perona shouted. " _Not_! Shut up!"

"I guess you'll get around to seeing it for yourself. I ain't gonna waste my time trying to prove it," Sanji snapped back at Kid, who scowled. He moved to stand up again, and the blond quickly back peddled until he was standing next to Zoro. "Now, just let us pass. We wanna get out, now."

"Give us the key, first," Kid said, hand out.

"We'll just go on by, leave the door open," Zoro told him. "Ain't gonna trust someone sitting with manacles all these years. Who knows what you people do? Could be one of those that eat other people."

"We don't eat people! _Those_ guys do, though," Kid snapped, pointing at the pile of zombies. The pair gave them an unsettled look. "Now, just give me the fuckin' key!"

"There's four of you, we at a disadvantage, here. Even if you can only sit. Ain't no telling what you can do if we let you go out, first. You could shut us in."

"Oh my _god_ ," Perona drawled out. "It's like listening to some guy talk at a gas station down in some desolate area where there isn't any schools! Learn your grammar _proper_!"

After Perona finished mocking them, the third man quietly ventured out from his hiding spot, holding a rifle. It immediately silenced the others, Kid furrowing his brow once more as he studied the make of it. Law couldn't determine the model, either. It looked like parts had been sloppily slapped and welded together to form an abnormally large chamber with a too thin of a barrel.

Ussop's arms wobbled as he lifted them, Kid glaring into his direction.

"Let us out, first!" Ussop demanded, voice shaking. "We're gonna lay a patch out of here, so…let us pass."

"I'm going to take that thing from you and wrap it around your neck if you don't _get it out of my face_!" Kid barked at him, face and neck reddening.

Zoro snorted, and Law's lips thinned as they curled with amusement, Kid looking immediately at the green man. Perona covered her mouth, holding her breath.

"You…are you _laughing_ at me?" Kid asked Zoro tightly, as if it were difficult to breathe.

Fumbling with an answer, trying to maintain a stoic face, Zoro said, "Only cuz your skin was almost the same as your hair. Like…it's…like a bird."

"I have this thing about people laughing at me," Kid said, jaw clenched. " _I don't like it_."

Giving him a frown, Zoro replied, "I don't care. All we want is out."

Kid stared up at him for several long moments before he exploded with rage. Rising, he lifted the sedan from nearby with a cackle of energy, the three of them reacting with shock. Zoro leapt backward while Sanji grabbed Ussop and jumped to the side, just avoiding by inches being crushed by the car's weight. Lifting the car again, focused on the green haired man, Kid slammed the vehicle into the pavement nearest him, Zoro reacting quickly to avoid being injured.

Once he saw the rifle lifting as Ussop intended to rescue his friend, Law formed a Room, wrenching the weapon out of the man's grasp. Both of them looked at him with surprise, but they didn't stay there, long. Ussop darted back towards the building behind him, Sanji considering Zoro's escape; capturing the rifle, Law released the Room and panted tightly, utterly drained. Perona rose to her knees, her mask in place. The zombies twitched back to life, immediately locking in on the trio.

Sanji saw four of them rising with a mighty struggle to their feet, chittering noisily as Perona strained to keep her hold on them. From the corner of his eye, he saw that Kid could no longer lift the car, but was struggling to run after Zoro, who kept his swords sheathed once he saw the redhead unable to move. He jogged a safe distance away, saw the zombies moving, and shouted impatiently, "Tag 'em out!"

Sanji nodded, then leapt forward to kick out. He caught two of them, knocking them flat to the street, Perona giving a pained grunt as she 'felt' the reaction. She forced the other two towards him, but it was easy for him to dive forward, flinging his legs outward in a twisty move that knocked them back into the streets. She collapsed with a heavy exhale, grumbling, her ghosts unmoving as Sanji straightened himself to look at them cautiously.

Kid collapsed to the street on his hands and knees, panting as if he'd run a marathon, then flopped onto his stomach. Seeing that he wasn't able to continue his rage-spree, Zoro cautiously walked around him, rejoining Sanji. Ussop peeked out from the doorway, then hurried towards them, hiding behind the green haired man for cover.

"We can do it like this," Zoro told Sanji. "They ain't got nothing on them. But this only shows we was right."

"Three of them at the door," Sanji said, gesturing at them.

"Then put them aside! Ain't nothing useful down here. They here for a reason."

"If this is true," Law said loudly, leaning against the doorframe, "being that two hundred years have passed, what is the world like up top?"

"We don't have to answer!" Ussop hissed. He tugged on Zoro's backpack urgently.

"Ain't no harm of it," Sanji reasoned. He nudged Zoro to answer.

"Ain't nothing out there but the colony," Zoro said sullenly. "People come, but they don't say from where. Fire took out most of the trees, here. Ain't nothing like this, anymore."

He gestured at the cityscape around them. "Just…growth. Animals. But they gone, too, cuz of the fire."

"Laid a patch to get out, but hunters been busy," Ussop added tentatively. "Can I get my gun back?"

"You used it to harm us."

"Yeah, but – "

"All that we request is a way out of here!" Law shouted irritably. "We were kept in here since we were children – we've never crossed that door! If this is true, that two hundreds have passed, then you're the same as them! You leave us here to die, you're just like them!"

"We ain't have any part of that," Zoro said stubbornly. Ussop looked to Sanji warily, seeing the expression he was making. He switched his hold from Zoro to Sanji, tugging on his arm and shaking his head urgently. "That was none of our control. We ain't even born, then. From the start, you tried to harm _us_."

"We were subjected to regular bouts of experimentation for another man's war, and it's been conditioned of us to expect the worst from others, so of course we'd react accordingly."

"'Experimented' on?" Sanji asked tentatively, Ussop jerking on his arm.

Detecting a different sort of tone in his voice, Law said, "Like lab rats. They gathered us up as children and performed invasive investigations upon us while subjugating us to various tests to gather data on what their experiments were capable of. We were not allowed to go outside, to see our families again, nor behave normally as children should. How fitting that for what our lives were subject to, we would have to unfairly perish without a chance _two hundred years_ later for what they've done to us."

He could see them struggling to decipher what it was he was saying, and he frowned.

"You morons!" Perona snapped. "We were _toys_ to them, and you want us to die without giving us a chance to live? _Assholes_!"

"I'm not gonna feel bad," Ussop whispered. "They can do _stuff_!"

"But there are some people that do," Sanji told him, Zoro frowning at them both.

"They was in here for a _reason_ ," he hissed at them. "We don't know truth to their story!"

"They don't even believe us!"

"We don't believe them!"

Swallowing tightly, Law asked, "What are you wearing?"

The trio looked at him with puzzled expressions, then looked at each other. He shrugged a shoulder. "We've never seen animals, before."

"Y'all spoke about _kittens_ ," Sanji pointed out stiffly. "Pretty sure you did."

"…You're the fox, then?" Law asked, Perona jerking her head up with shock.

Uncomfortably, Sanji muttered, "I got some ability."

"Don't talk to them," Zoro hissed.

"Were you experimented on, too? Like us?" Law asked, Perona using his legs to climb into a sitting position.

"Show us! Prove it!" she insisted. "Otherwise, you're lying!"

"He doesn't have to prove a thing to you!" Zoro snapped.

"Point is, you seen animals," Sanji said. "Don't give us no story that you haven't."

Exhaling shortly, Law answered, "Truthfully, they brought in a litter of kittens because they thought it would cheer us up. Being fresh to experimentation, our companion here did eat one, but he was never told that this was wrong. He had never seen an animal, before. His fast metabolism demands continuous caloric intake, and they had yet to feed him in four days, until they were sure how a recent batch of chemicals reacted to him. It wasn't his fault. He was driven by starvation to do so. That was our first and last interaction with any kind of animal. Otherwise, we saw them in books or television. Not in person. You're going to leave us here to die, then at least give us a taste of what's up there."

"I don't feel sorry for any of you," Zoro mumbled. "Probably alright then if we just leave – "

"It's a wolf," Sanji answered, holding up the animal's head, which was capable of completely covering Zoro's head and shoulders, leaving inches to spare. "They're taller than any man. Barely any gun can bring them down. He killed this one with his knife, here."

"Wolves are big, but they're not _that_ big!" Perona insisted.

"Without man here to hunt them, they grew," Sanji insisted. "Books say animals were smaller, but they ain't now. Nothing like the books, no more. And…"

He took out one of the rabbits that Zoro had in his backpack, the man looking exasperated as he did so. Holding the dead animal in both hands, Perona and Law were stunned to see a normally small animal lying limp in both of his hands, about the size of a Maine Coon cat. Its ears alone were the length of Perona's forearms. Its teeth were sharp, curled over the bottom lip, claws exposed like blackened thorns.

"This sorta thing's a treat, because they're fresh to humans," Sanji explained. "Mostly eat off other animals. Robin said they ate plants, but there weren't no plants because of the clouds. Not for a long time. Nowadays, crops feeds humans more."

Perona looked to Law, panic etched in her features. It started to dawn on them that perhaps these people were right – that time had passed them by. These mutated animals were nothing they'd seen on tv – they weren't small and fluffy like those in Luffy's magazines. Their expressions started to change, Sanji saw, hitting Zoro with the dead animal to have him put it back.

After a few moments of stunned silence, Law repeated, "'Clouds'?"

"When the bombs hit, the sky was covered in them. Wouldn't let the sun through. Now'days, they shoot the clouds, but the weather is nasty, now. It lets us grow crops, and that's what we eat, now. Plants."

Processing this, feeling his blood run cold as he thought about Corazon's hasty message, Law felt it difficult to breathe. He didn't want to accept that they were here that long. It was _impossible_. The base was impenetrable. There was no way mankind was wiped out by that war alone. He looked at them, noting their thin statues, their weather-worn faces. Rising to stand, causing them caution, he motioned for them to come near while Perona breathed heavily, fist to mouth.

"Come here. If that's true, let me look at your teeth," he insisted, hearing the edge in his tone.

" _Why_?" Sanji asked, puzzled by the request as Ussop made a face, Zoro frowning as his own tongue coursed over his.

"If that's true…" Law could feel anxiety strumming up in his chest, making his heart pound, his throat tight. He struggled to put together words to say, "It'll show in your teeth."

After a few moments of unmoving acquiescence, he insisted, " _Please_! If you're not going to let us outside, at least let me verify this though – an examination! Otherwise, you're sending us to our graves with a lie!"

"We ain't lying! Why would we?" Ussop asked incredulously.

" _Please_!"

Sanji looked at the others with uncertainty, then shrugged. "Ain't gonna hurt nobody, then. They look scared."

"Doesn't look like they got any energy to do anything, but get that rifle back," Zoro told them.

With a deep breath, Sanji ventured over towards the pair, Zoro and Ussop following close behind them after cautious looks back at Kid. Holding himself steady against the door frame, Perona watching with a fearful expression, Law waited for Sanji to approach him, keeping a few feet from him. He opened his mouth with an awkward look, and Law bent to look at his teeth. Without warning, he forced Sanji's mouth open wider, fingers moving from his back molars to his front as the blond gave a startled sound. He shoved away from Law with a spat to the floor, but the man was wordlessly stunned.

Perona looked up at him, watching as he drew his fingers back, staring at them with incredulity.

" _Well_?" she demanded of him.

Feeling his lungs tighten even further, Law couldn't formulate words just yet. The feel of Sanji's teeth on his fingers was burned into his flesh. He stared at them, his hands shaking, feeling blood rush to his face, pounding in his ears.

"They're… common of…teeth adapt to the diet, and his…his are flat."

"Spit it out!"

"They're not lying. Our teeth are ridged to rip through meat. His are bigger, flatter, and…that only happens as only a certain diet is attained through a number of generations. More of a plant based diet to grind their food, rather than…a steady consumption of actual meat."

Perona licked her own teeth, comfortable with the shape she felt. She looked at Sanji, then bared her teeth at him, indicating that he do the same. Slowly, he showed off a toothy expression, and while his teeth did look noticeably wider, she couldn't see this the way Law did. But the man looked frozen, rattled in such a way that it scared her. He and Kid were the only ones that kept their cool – _most_ of the time – so to see this expression meant that things were worse off than they'd thought.

Seeing that the pair were occupied, Sanji picked up the rifle and brought it back to Ussop, then looked at Zoro. Zoro studied his expression, then frowned deeply.

"We need to get out of here before the others show up," Zoro told him.

"…They're real shook up," Sanji said.

" _So_? Did you see what happened?" Zoro asked, gesturing at Kid.

Sanji shrugged a shoulder. "They can't move no more."

"Nothing we can do about it!" Zoro then scowled when he saw Sanji's eyes lock onto his backpack. " _NO_. Took Ussop a real long time to take those down! It's for _us_! We ain't had meat in a long time!"

"We don't eat _that_ much. _They_ hadn't eaten in _two hundred years_! They can have my share."

Ussop caught onto what was happening. He climbed onto Sanji's back, hissing, "We're _not_ feeding them! We're _not_ being nice to them! I don't care _what_ sorta story they fed you, we ain't being nice to people that are _scary_!"

"One last meal before we lock 'em in again," Sanji told Zoro as he tossed Ussop off him, reaching out to hold onto his backpack. "It ain't gonna do no harm!"

"NO!"

"I don't need any! We got more than enough crops at home!"

"We're not going to feed them just because you feel sorry for them! So what if they in here? It's their own fault!"

Making a puppy face, Sanji tugged on his backpack, Ussop watching Zoro to see if he'd give. He shook his head repeatedly, urging Zoro not to give in. Zoro looked to the unconscious man that tried to kill them, to the one in the hallway that snored amidst the growling of his stomach, to the woman that looked utterly petrified at the sight of the other man that looked as if he'd just seen a ghost.

He could feel the key card in his pocket, burning. They had a way out.

He grumbled, allowing Sanji to take his backpack, Ussop gasping in outrage. Taking one of the rabbits' by the back leg, and one of the hens, Sanji happily turned away from them while Zoro replaced his backpack.

"Before we go, I'll make y'all a meal to send you off with," Sanji told the pair sitting in the doorway. When Law looked at the hen in hand, his expression seemed to pale even further. It was the size of a turkey. With the size of the animals in front of him, he could not come up with an explanation for it other than evolutionary adjustments.

Despite hearing what Sanji was offering, Law was in shock. The blond swept past them, heading for the kitchen while the other two followed at a slower pace, looking at all of them with distrust. Perona struggled to repress her emotions, seeing the state Law was in. If that man had shut down, then there was truth to the hicks' words.

It meant they were right.

Two hundred years had passed them by.


	4. Chapter 4

**Naghi-Tan:** His compassion will get him into a bunch of trouble in this fic; prepare your heart! Ussop and Zoro's abilities will be coming to light pretty soon! The reason why Sanji happens to use Zoro for comfort will be revealed in upcoming chapters – their friendship is pretty strong in this fic. _Friendship only_! (just thought I'd throw that out there XD)

 **RR:** Your wish is my command! XD More development will be coming soon – just getting started!

 **Penumbra:** Thank you for your kind review on 'Replica', and this fic! I'm so happy you enjoy reading my stuff! I'm definitely just a LawSan writer, and that's how most of my fics end up. Until the day I cannot write anymore D:

 **Cheers:** He is cute! But incredibly noisy – _very_ noisy! Haha I looked up his type on Youtube and was involved for _hours_ XD And your new ship has me thinking, that's for sure! ;D

 **Snowflake97:** Ah, thanks! Kid's great, he's always in every one of my fics XD I can't wait for his return in canon! :DGood question! That will actually be answered later – the more that the four 'wake up', the more their powers will come to light, especially hers.

 **: : Four**

There wasn't running water. The stove did not work. Everything in the kitchen were rotting ghosts of the past, and nothing in the cupboards were recognizable. Everything had fallen to such rustic ruin that their skeletons offered only a glimmer of what it should have looked like. The paint was so dirty that it was difficult trying to tell what it used to be. Hesitating, Sanji placed the dead animals atop of a counter and surveyed the area for something useful. Walking in after him, Zoro said, "I have a bad feeling about this."

"Ain't no harm in these things," Sanji said reassuringly. "Once they get outside, it's gonna be a whole different tale. At least this'll give 'em a little chance."

Zoro frowned at him, leaning against the counter while he looked for a pot. Finding none, Sanji shook his head, closing the doors. Luffy had destroyed the kitchen looking for something to eat, and the floor was littered with plates, cups, dishes – but all ceramic, with no metal. No utensils. It was odd. He examined a microwave, uncertain of what it was as it was worn with time.

He straightened away, saying low, "Even if they managed to get free, they were expected to die, here."

"Ain't that a shocker!" Zoro said in the same tone, Ussop hurrying in to join them, lunging in to grab onto Zoro's backpack and to peek cautiously over his own shoulder to make sure he wasn't followed. "I'm sayin' this vibe ain't right!"

"We can't just leave 'em here," Sanji told him, furrowing his brow. "It ain't seem like they had a chance at all!"

"If they were imprisoned here, there was a reason for it!"

"Still," Sanji muttered, plucking at the rabbit's hind leg. "You don't know what it feels like to be trapped. We don't know their full story. We might be their only chance."

Zoro frowned. "Maybe we should ask Robin. If this was a secret, and these cats was made for fighting, then maybe they aren't people that can be saved. That guy said all of them never saw the light of day. They probably don't know how to _act_."

Sanji sighed noisily. "I figured that, but - !"

"I second _his_ opinion," Ussop told him. "We should really ask Robin about the history of the place. What if they're criminals? We release them onto the colony, what they going to do to the rest of us?"

"I don't know! But we should give them a chance! I mean, look at them," Sanji hissed.

The trio were speaking in low tones from the kitchen, but their voices carried into lightly the quiet corridor. Law could hear them talking about them. He felt frustration rising up within him, something that caused him to clench his fists. It was unfair that they were once again at the mercy of others – while some of their words might be true, it left him feeling unsettled in that they would not have a chance to touch fresh air. Freedom was so close by, and yet clearly in the hands of others. Perona shared his expression, resting her chin upon her folded arms.

"We can kill 'em," she whispered. "I'm sick of people deciding for us!"

"Just _wait_ ," he muttered.

"They're big," Sanji indicated, hands out on his sides. "They were properly taken care of back then! They get outside, they gonna have to adjust harshly. Either they don't or they do, that part ain't up to us!"

"You feed them just to let him wither away?" Zoro asked.

"At least I gave them a chance," Sanji insisted, looking around the kitchen with frustration. "Ain't nothing in here to use, by the by. No knives, no forks, not even a proper pot! Ain't that something?"

Ussop looked around himself with bewilderment. He saw that this was so. Looking over the stove, the fridge, they were tied down with plastic – it had long since started to wither, breaking in certain areas to have allowed the earlier tantrum, but it struck him that plastic screws were used on the cabinets, as the handles.

"The big guy," he realized. "He picked up that car like it was nothing."

"They were experimented for the war back then. Because of that, they ain't gonna think right," Zoro continued to insist. "What if they still think they're us against them?"

Sanji shrugged, fiddling with the rabbit's fur. "Some people still think that way."

"Not _this_ colony."

"If we don't give them a chance, we ain't gonna know. Something like this could happen to us," Sanji insisted, reaching out to hold onto his cape. "At any time, if a bigger colony decided to up and move."

"Taking responsibility for them's gonna be tough if it don't go right," Zoro muttered. "They was made to fight, what if we're bringing in an unsteady box of dynamite? You gonna sleep well after that?"

" _I_ came out right," Sanji told him firmly, frowning at him. "With just your company, even!"

Zoro pushed him away with a sullen frown. "No one knows where you come from."

"You either!"

"You guys came to us as kids without saying where," Ussop reminded them. "I suppose on that note, it'd have to be the same thing."

"We could at least give Robin a heads up," Zoro said low, running a hand through his hair. Zoro looked at his watch. "Nightfall is six hours away."

"That's plenty of time. Took two to get up here."

"It'll take longer if they're not in any shape to take the terrain."

"They're big guys," Ussop hissed, flexing his arms. "All of them look like they lift heavy things all day! Even that gal has bigger legs than me!"

"Having muscle don't mean much," Zoro said haughtily.

Sanji then said, "If that key goes to that office, we can maybe find something on them up there, right? That place had plenty of documents on the floor."

"It'd be a good idea," Zoro muttered. "At least we'll know what they are."

Sanji held his hand out. "Gimme the key. Ussop and I will go on ahead, look for those papers."

" _I'll_ do it," Zoro said. "You want to help them so much, _you_ get them out. We'll leave the doors open for you."

Sighing with impatience, Sanji looked to Ussop. "Can you take care of this fella for me?"

"You gonna be okay by yourself?" Ussop asked tentatively.

"It'll be fine. You guys go on ahead."

Zoro removed the key card from his pants pocket, looking at it. Then he looked at Sanji with a stern frown.

"Whistle, then," he said, giving a slow nod. "Even snakes can bite if they heads chopped off."

Sanji nodded, Ussop fretting for a moment before he and Zoro turned away. They walked off, and Sanji listened to their movements as they headed for the medical office. Noises sounded out as heavy furniture shifted aside, and he cautiously walked out from the kitchen to look towards the people they'd found. They were still sitting in the other section of the bunker, and he was sure the place was big enough to where their voices couldn't carry that far of a distance.

The sound of a door unlocking and opening caused two of their heads to perk, but they caught sight of him staying behind. They were too far away for Sanji to read their expressions.

He returned to the kitchen with a slow exhale, pulling his backpack off.

Nearly a half hour later with his own tools, he had the rabbit skinned and cleaned, and was forcing them onto skewers he'd found hidden away in the back of one drawer. He used some of his roots as flavoring, and had made a small fire in the sink – the lack of ventilation made him nervous, but he was sure it would be fine.

Movement in the doorway caused him to look, seeing Law struggling to stand upright against the doorframe. Now that he really had time to look, Sanji noticed that Ussop was right. The man was lean, but he was built thickly in the chest and shoulders, wearing weight that was very uncommon around here. It made him self-conscious to notice. Those bodysuits all of them wore were too revealing. He felt his face and ears redden suddenly, feeling that he was looking for far too long.

"Where are your friends?" Law demanded.

"They went out, first," Sanji told him. "They won't go far. Just to see where to leave from."

It was hard for Law to continue any sort of conversation when he could smell the meat cooking. Law hoped he had enough juice in him to hold Luffy back if he had to. Seeing the discarded parts of the animals piled atop of the counter made him feel ill. Blood dripped onto the dirty floor, creating a splotchy stain that was bright against the linoleum. He watched it dribble, salivating as Sanji tended to the pieces of meat he had over the fire.

Law could hear Perona grumbling as she struggled to make the crawl over to join them. It would be awhile before she could, her panting and cursing echoing against the wide, high walls. He sat slowly up against the fallen fridge, watching as the blond shot him a nervous look over his shoulder.

Questions of every type grew and built over his thoughts as he smelled the meat cook. There was something bitter in the air that made him cautious to the taste. The kitchen was often manned by Marines, their meals spread throughout the day on a schedule that never changed. So it felt wrong to see someone out of uniform handling their food – it felt wrong overall to know that time had skipped them entirely to become something else.

It was right of the trio to suspect them of being dangerous persons – the Marines thought so. That was why they were imprisoned down here, kept at arm's length from any of those that thought to delve in too personally with them. They were test subjects, weapons of war – not human.

Which made him curious about Sanji's ability. He studied the younger man's long legs, the shape of his form – skinny, small – and wondered his true age. He emitted innocence and naivety – but maybe he wasn't. The Marines had been so stern and unyielding that they were all old and mean, speaking to them in short snaps and barking orders that holding a conversation with any of them was discouraged. Their names were written on their suits, files and pods, but it was rare to hear it from the Marines. Sometimes, Law would forget his own name if one of the others didn't utter it.

Their last day had been normally scheduled – wake up at six, breakfast at seven, first training at eight. That would last with adjustments to their abilities as they were tested, and lunch was served promptly at twelve. Two hours of free time before individual calisthenics were called for, a strict cardio and muscle building routine that kept them fit and in-shape. Then four hours of education, which consisted of what happened on the surface with general subjects.

It was during this period that Kid had reacted; angry and frustrated because the Marine in charge had insulted his intelligence. He could only know what he was being given, he'd argued, but the man had insulted him again.

'Cabin fever' was a common outburst for all of them. They were usually handled with tranquilizers and solitary, but Kid's rage had been overwhelming for all of them. The others had grown agitated because they watched as the Marines scrambled with a different sort of panic. Unable to read the mood appropriately, the trio stood back and let Kid rage as he did. Despite their close quarters and forced interaction, the four of them were not the type to seek comfort or security from another. They were surprised when they were all dropped with enough tranquilizers to render them uselessly incoherent. It had been the pods right after.

'Just for an hour or two,' Sengoku had assured them. Two hundred years passed since then.

There hadn't been much in their world that allowed them to think broadly. The walls lied to them about what the outside truly looked like, and while movies and entertainment gave them an idea of who they should model themselves after, each of them were dangerously detached as a human; demanding and wanting to experience much of the things they were denied, but unable to do so appropriately. Without proper interaction, all of them were impulsive creatures without a conscience. They only knew denial and force – compassion and empathy were absent in their lives.

'Like dogs chained to a small porch,' Law remembered one of the Marines saying to the others. He couldn't wait to step outside - to smell fresh air, to see an actual nighttime sky, to feel the sun on his flesh without having someone tell him he couldn't.

"I want to go outside, now," he told Sanji.

"Wait until you eat," the blond told him. "It takes energy to move. Ain't any of us able to cart you around."

Law could see the way Sanji looked at him nervously, and Law had the thought that this gesture was only a trick. But it didn't make sense for him to cook them something beforehand. Or was this just another point of cruelty for him? These three young men weren't Marines, so they carried themselves with a sense of fragility. While the other two were quick to want to leave them behind, Sanji looked at them with a combination of doubt and pity.

Almost like how Corazon had. Law wasn't sure how to sort that out.

"You'd let us go?" he asked again, hearing Perona complain in the distance.

"It's up to you what happens once you're outside," Sanji reassured him, drawing out a skewer as smoke built up against the ceiling. The meat sizzled in his hand, and despite his growing petulance, Law's body clenched with anticipation.

Blowing on it to cool it off, Sanji then walked over to him. Law found himself lingering over the way his lips formed an 'o' with the movement, the way his fingers handled the stick delicately. It suddenly made him realize that he really liked the way Sanji's eyes were similar to those of the fox – with soft, delicate eyelashes that fanned over light freckles and vague shadows under his eyes. When he handed the skewer to Law, their fingers touched briefly; it was startling to feel the electricity in that, something that caused Sanji to look at him with surprise before hastily wiping his hand on his pants.

"You have a different set of powers?" Law asked him curiously, looking at his fingers.

Unsure of how to answer that, Sanji shook his head. So, the man had felt it too. Sanji stood there for a few moments, trying to read him. All this time he'd felt the weight of the man's stare on him, and Sanji might be a 'hick', but he knew what it meant. It threw him off that this man seemed unaware of what he was doing. Seeing that nothing else would come of this moment, Sanji waited for him to eat.

It wasn't anything Law had ever tasted, but the meat was greasy and it was hot. He took a cautious bite, then nearly spat it out. It didn't taste like the traditional meals he was used to. It was much too greasy, rich, the flavor causing disgust to build despite his gnawing hunger. There wasn't much outside flavoring to it, but a bitterness that he'd smelled earlier lingered on his tongue unpleasantly.

Sanji frowned at him, neck and jaw tightening. "You'll eat it all. Meat is rare. This animal don't like to get caught. It's a treat for us."

"Tastes like shit," Law told him stubbornly.

"It'll satisfy that rumbling! _Eat it_!"

"Can't you make something else?" Law muttered, eying the skewer with distrust. Perona finally showed herself by peering around the doorframe. In the distance, they heard Kid's waking shout ring out from the training rooms. A wordless sound of anger that caused Sanji to look up with tentative action, nervously twiddling his thumbs.

Taking another small bite, Law couldn't handle another. He tossed the skewer at Sanji's feet, the blond looking outraged. Perona yanked herself into the kitchen, crawling to take it before Sanji could retrieve it. She took a large bite with a growl, chewed and then spit it out, throwing the skewer away from her.

" _UGH_! You could've warned me it was _disgusting_!" she exclaimed to Law, wiping her mouth and smearing grease over her chin. "I want something else! Can't you fix it to taste better?"

Absolutely distraught by their reaction to his efforts, Sanji sputtered for a few moments.

"We need to have something better suited," Law said.

"It's so greasy!" Perona snapped. "Soak it up with a napkin, bring out the salt! Don't we have any?"

"If you're that hungry, you wouldn't mind," Sanji snarled at both of them, retreating back to the sink. Luffy's sudden shout of joy let them know he was awake. Kid yelled at him to help him, but it sounded like the teen had already climbed to his feet, moving hastily towards the kitchen. Sanji pulled the other skewers from the open flame. He set them aside, went and retrieved the one Perona had thrown. He brushed off the dirt, smeared his hand on his pants in the process. He took a bite, and chewed with appreciation. It was delicious – the flavor of the meat exploded on his tongue, the meat firm on the outside, the animal's natural grease intermingling with his saliva.

" _Ugh_ ," Perona muttered, watching him chew. "The taste makes my stomach sick. It's still in my mouth. Give me some water."

"There is none," Sanji snapped at her. "No water, no nothing!"

"I'm _thirsty_!"

"Drink your own spit until then."

"How does that even happen?" she gasped. "I want some water to flush this out of my mouth, give it to me! That sink is still there! I'll just take that!"

"There is no water running through them pipes!"

"Ugh, talk _properly_!"

Still chewing, noticing that Law was watching him with a frown, Sanji shook his head to indicate that he was giving up on the argument. He sucked on the meat he'd yet to finish chewing, just to draw out the flavors. Plus, his teeth weren't made to chew meat properly – grounding and sucking was his only way of softening the morsel before he could swallow. He'd never noticed that this wasn't 'normal' until he was told his teeth weren't made for it. With how rare meat was for consumption nowadays, it wasn't something he truly thought was different.

Before he could say anything, Luffy crawled over Perona, eyes locking in on the meat immediately. Sanji tossed the rest of the skewer to him because the teen was moving right towards him with startling violence, and the meat was ensnared, ravished without hesitation. Luffy then spit it out, looking at it with agitation before picking it up and stuffing it back into his mouth. He spit it out again with a cry of dismay.

"This your idea of a good time?" Perona asked Sanji nastily. "Poisoning us?"

"You're all slow in the head," Sanji said, red-faced as Luffy attempted another chew. He retched between swallows, face turning a pale green. When he spit, there were traces of blood from where the meat was still red. He caught sight of this, eyes widening as he stopped chewing. His shoulders then jerked as he heaved, causing Perona to complain and Law to make a face as he pulled his knees up to wrap his arms loosely around them.

"This is so _gross_ ," Luffy muttered, eyes watering as he looked at what was left on the skewer. "It's gross, but I'm _hungry_. Can't you make something else?"

"There is _nothing_ to make! I'm giving ya'll all I have!"

"You talk funny," Luffy told him. He yanked at Law's foot. "Make him cook different stuff! I'm so _hungry_!"

"Look, if ya'll don't want it, then that's it for you!" Sanji snapped, hearing Kid approach crankily. "Ain't nothing out there easy until we get to the colony, and that's a two hour walk - !"

"I am not walking anywhere," Perona told him. "It has to be by car."

"With windows," Luffy insisted.

Sanji looked at them blankly, then remembered his manners. "We _walk_. If not walk, we ride. None the three of us aren't riders, either."

"We're expected to _walk_? For _two hours_? You're fucking nuts," Perona snapped at him.

"What kind of environment is this?" Law asked.

"I'm still hungry! Give me another one, anyway," Luffy demanded, rising to his feet. Sanji watched as he snatched up another skewer, Law suddenly on his feet and pulling them from his hands. Luffy slammed into him with an enraged snarl, Law disappearing moments later as the teen crashed up against the counter with a snuffling sound.

"If this is all we have to eat for another two hours, you can't have it all," Law told Luffy from the doorway, the teen snarling before lunging into that direction.

"I really just want something else," Perona told Sanji, rising unsteadily. "So make mac and cheese, or fried chicken. Maybe even some fries, or a freaking cheeseburger."

Sanji gave her a blank look, hearing the sounds of battle coming from the hall. Kid had finally caught up, and his accompanying shouts over the skewers made him wince. He looked down at what remained, and pulled some fabric pieces from his bag. He wrapped them and stuffed it into the front pocket. He was reeling from being told his food was bad when all he'd ever received was praise; he had learned to apply spices from the land to make a great meal, and to see his creation spat out and - !

He shook his head. "I don't know what that is."

Perona stared at him. Not even moments later, Kid shoved his way into the room, holding what remained of a skewer. He looked close to vomiting, but he finished all the meat as he held Luffy back with one hand.

" _Is this it_?" Kid snapped at Sanji. "Just this? Where's the rest of the food?"

"There ain't nothin' left. All of you are ungrateful - !"

"We were the ones kept inside of here for years! All we know is what we know, and this stuff, _whatever_ it was, tasted awful. _Ugh_ , it don't taste like chicken, that's for sure," Kid complained, tossing Luffy aside. "There needs to be something more than this."

"Things like this are a real treat to us. I guess you weren't that hungry at all," Sanji muttered bitterly.

"Make something else!" Luffy shouted impatiently, growing red faced.

"Yeah, none of us can eat this shit," Perona said, looking to the counter and suddenly seeing the discarded pile of parts that weren't useable. She slapped her hands over her mouth with a loud gasp, Kid catching sight of this. He jerked away from the counter, slamming up against the two smaller beings as he realized he'd stepped into the blood.

" _Jesus H Christ_! Why is this just _sitting_ here?" he bellowed, Perona and Luffy crushed against the counter behind him, both of them protesting noisily.

"Like we haven't ever seen such things," Law said impatiently, but he had a hand held to his mouth and nose.

Sanji stared at them with utter disbelief. "Ya'll are _soft_ ," he said. "I-if you're expected to make it up there, you need to be…a lil tougher. Ain't gonna go far if…you can't…"

He sputtered out the last of his words as Kid swept the parts off the counter, sending splatter over the wall and floor. When he pulled his arm back he roared with displeasure, moving towards the sink. Sanji hurried out of the way as he attempted to turn the faucets on, reacting with growing panic as the pipes sputtered uselessly.

" _There's no water_?" Kid asked, dangerously low.

"I'm so _thirsty_!" Perona complained, tongue out.

"I am, too. I want some Kool-Aid," Luffy added.

"We'd really like to go outside, now," Law told Sanji, aware of his own dry mouth.

Sanji could feel the atmosphere turning rapidly. In a way, the four of them were like children –unflinchingly demanding, but capable of so much more. He inched towards the door just to get some space. Luffy found the hen Sanji had set aside and waved it about, feathers fluttering.

"Is this _chicken_?" he cried. "Cook this! Cook this up! I'm starving!"

"If that's chicken, I can eat that," Kid said.

"Fried chicken!" Perona exclaimed merrily.

"There's _nothing_ to cook with, here!" Sanji snapped at them. "Everything here fell apart! It has to wait!"

Luffy latched onto his back, nearly causing him to stumble up against the doorframe. " _Cook it_! Cook it before anything else! We're all starving!"

" _Get off_!" Sanji shouted at him as he wiggled to dislodge him. He then cried out with dismay as Luffy's arms extended, wrapping around him with a suddenly constricting force.

"Make something else we can eat!" Luffy shouted at him. "If you can do that, you can do this one!"

"I'm thirsty! Don't you have anything to drink?" Perona reached out and grabbed a hold of Sanji's vest, yanking on it impatiently. Starting to panic, he stumbled towards the door.

Watching the way the others were yanking and holding onto the man reminded Law of two kids fighting over a toy. It made him angry that they were doing this – he half expected someone to come around the corner and administer some harsh words or action to have them stop, but nobody came. They would have to stop it themselves, but he didn't feel he had to be the one to police their behavior.

But he waited for his chance to sneak in and take the item from them when they were distracted; much like how he normally did if the pair were forced away from a toy of their attention. _Then_ he realized what he was thinking – how was he supposed to take another human being from someone else? Why would he even _think_ that? Before anything could happen, Kid reacted with an impatient growl, the noise driving him crazy.

"Get off!" Kid snapped at both of them, yanking both of them by the collars of their suits, causing them both to hit the floor in a tangle of limbs. He then grabbed Sanji by his vest, nearly pulling him off his feet, the blond gaping at him with surprise. "Listen here you, we've been in those pods for all these years! We're starving, _thirsty_ , and shit like that crap you tried to feed us isn't helping anybody! We need something else!"

"Don't yell at me! I'm trying to help!" Sanji snapped at him, kneeing him in the gut. The man released him, allowing him to gain space and fix his clothes.

He looked at them cautiously as he then noticed that his escape route was blocked off. Luffy picked up the hen with an impatient shake of his hand, Perona clutching her own neck dramatically, Kid rubbing his stomach with a murderous expression. Law looked like he was easing around them – not to escape, but for a better vantage point. All of this made Sanji feel terribly uneasy, as if he were facing off with large predators that had him cornered. He had to resist changing forms – instinct demanding that he take a quick route away to save his own life.

"None of us are going nowhere with this attitude," he said, almost breathless. "Ya'll gotta calm down, now. I'm doing what I can."

"Not enough," Perona muttered bitterly. "We're still hungry."

" _Cook_ this!" Luffy insisted, pushing the hen at him.

"Even if I did, you still won't like it," Sanji hissed at him, snatching the animal from his grasp. "I don't know what you're used to, but it ain't like that, no more."

Luffy gave him a stubborn frown.

"What, are we only cooking over campfires or something?" Kid asked Sanji nastily.

"When we're outside the walls, _yes_!"

" _There's no fast food_?"

Stumped, Sanji took a few moments to answer. "Well, there used to be berries we would eat, and fruit, maybe some bread or meals packed before we leave – "

"I'm talking McDonald's, Popeye's, Chik-Fil-A, In-and-Out!" Kid said impatiently. He reached out and grabbed onto his vest once more, yanking him to his tip toes. "Are you saying there's none of that?"

Sanji yanked away from him, then sent a foot crashing into his shin. Kid stumbled, then nearly fell over Luffy as he struggled to hold himself up. "Touch me like that again, and that wall there ain't gonna stop you!"

Kid snarled as he hit the counter with a fist, intending on striking back. Perona and Luffy quickly climbed out of his way.

"The others will leave us," Law said low. "Wait until we actually get out before getting any type of revenge."

Growling, Kid snapped at him, "So I kiss his ass until then? _Bullshit,_ Trafalgar!"

Outraged by the obvious display, Sanji snarled, "I can hear you! You think I wanna help if you're telling him to 'wait'?"

"He'll forget once we're outside," Law assured him.

"No I _won't_ ," Kid said with an exasperated face. "Don't treat me like I'm some unruly kid! I'm not those retards over there!"

Perona slapped his back with an open palm. "Don't you call me that!"

"This is why we're not allowed any requests," Law told them both with warning. "Demanding satisfaction has done nothing for us all these years! You have to pretend to be their friend in order to get what you want!"

"Yeah, I seen how well that works for you," Kid mumbled.

"Did you get your new books yet?" Perona asked snottily.

" _That's_ why the library burned down," Luffy said wondrously, finally getting it as he picked at his nose. "I was wondering why you were so mad at Corazon."

With a wince, Law frowned. Then he realized the subject matter of their conversation and looked at Sanji with a start, having forgotten he was there to hear every one of their contributions.

"Maybe you shouldn't be allowed out, then," Sanji said with a troubled expression. It was unnerving how open these people were with their thoughts. As if they lacked a filter, or common sense.

Right after he said that, he was hit for four different expressions of warning, the air shifting violently. Licking his lips, he said hastily, "Not that you'd last long, anyway. Once we're gone, if the animals don't get you, the elements will. It'll do you good to work _with_ us."

"I just want to go outside," Law complained, making his way to the door. "Let's go outside already."

Luffy was on his feet immediately, lighting up. "I want to! Let's go! Can we go? Is the door open?"

"Maybe there is a McDonald's out there. I really want some nuggets," Perona exclaimed cheerfully, also on her feet and hurrying after them. Seeing that their mind was elsewhere, Kid shoved Sanji off to the side and followed. Catching his breath, Sanji straightened his vest, then grabbed the abandoned animal, throwing it into his backpack. He caught sight of them disappearing into the medical ward, and released a warning whistle to the others.

Ussop answered with one of his own to signal that he understood, so Sanji followed reluctantly with one last look at the bunker. The stairway leading out from the medical ward was filled with the quartet's voices, mixed with excitement and cheer. He exhaled heavily, willing his heart to stop beating so fast. He hoped the pair were able to find what they needed to on this group – it appeared that they needed everything they could get regarding them.

: :

Zoro had just stuffed the files they'd found into Ussop's backpack when Luffy lunged out from the doorway nearby, followed closely by Perona. They immediately headed for the door marked 'Exit' without even looking at the pair. Luffy slammed against the door, the metal protesting noisily as it swung open, revealing a long corridor that opened up to the outside. Zoro couldn't imagine where it led out to, considering they'd entered from a door that opened from the ground.

He watched as the four of them took to it without hesitation, looking up to see Sanji enter the office with a relieved sigh.

"There's no stopping them, now," he said. He scowled. "And they didn't like the food."

"I don't think they would," Ussop said with uncertainty. "These guys were fed and taken care of like dogs. These records are unreal!"

Sanji handed them what he'd saved of the rabbit. The two of them ate with appreciation, humming with joy. Slowly, they faced the hallway and began making their way towards the end of it.

"What do you think of them?" Zoro asked Sanji.

"Not good," he replied sourly. "They're like…small children. All of them."

" _You_ decided to do this."

"I don't think they'll last long outside," Sanji said slowly, feeling disgusted with himself. "Ain't no listening to reason, either. If they can't eat this, they're…gonna have a hard time."

"If they make it to the colony, they're gonna," Zoro agreed. Perona's strangled cry caught their attention.

Ussop sighed heavily. "Guess this is the second slap to the face. I don't know what they're expecting, but this wasn't it, I suppose."

The hallway was obliterated to a rock wall that had crumbled through the years, opening up to a side of a cliff that allowed them to overlook what was left of the base. From below, it would be missed as only part of the precipice that had long since fallen due to time. The building had been constructed in such a way as to fit against the curve of the mountain, and would have once filed into a stairway from the fifth floor. But all that remained of the building were some beams down below, opening up the view to what was left on the ground. Wide open space revealed the massive wildfire scars left behind – blackened ash and smoke that drifted from dead trees, fluffy undergrowth of brush and flora debris.

Beyond that miles away was the sight of the ocean coast – overhanging with mist and low curling clouds that drifted by uninterrupted. The air was hot from the lingering fire, and tasted of smoke and ash. The trio couldn't picture what the four had expected to see, but their shocked expressions revealed everything.

Kid crouched to the ground, staring blankly over the base's grounds. The shapes of the aircraft left behind were rusted skeletons of useless metal. Vehicles left to the age of time sat down atop of blackened grass and wind shaped dirt. Hangars and buildings that once stood proudly were missing – leaving behind sporadic sticks that were once overgrown by vegetation. The skies were clear, bright and blue, but lacked the telltale trails of aircraft. It was an overwhelming blue – he'd imagined the sky a different shade and shape, but it felt intimidating and crushing.

Law had vague memory of vehicles filling the parking lots, of buildings that threw shade down onto meandering sidewalks. Busy streetlights where military vehicles rumbled past with decorated personnel. The whirr of helicopters was gone, replaced by an eerie silence. The lack of people made it more disconcerting – there should have been people living here; talking, filling the space with voices. A dust devil grew in the distance, whipping up ash and dust, creating a dark tunnel that moved without obstacle across what had been the runways. He wondered if he'd get used to the silence.

Luffy didn't understand what he was looking at – but he expected something more. Buildings upon buildings, rattling vehicles, people – there was none of these but a giant, empty space with an occasional obstacle. The sea was intriguing – blue and mysterious, capable of being something so much grander than this island. There was something inside of him that screamed for something else, and he didn't understand it. The mountain side next to them was caked with hard rock and an occasional brush that had tendrils trailing down from them. A bird was watching them from one of these bushes, and he couldn't even identify it. But it was large, the size of a cat – speckled black and blue, beak wide open in some voiceless cough.

Perona thought all of these things and more – but it was the lack of people that unnerved her even violently so. If they were all like the three that had released them, she wasn't sure how she was going to cope.

Studying their reactions, their shell-shocked faces revealing varying displays of emotion, Zoro glanced around their position, and pointed out a small game trail that looked well used down the length of the Cliffside. After a cautious glance at them, he led the way, Ussop waiting a few beats before following after the man.

Sanji glanced at the four, feeling pity build inside of them. Despite their sizes, they looked so lost and broken that it was hard for him to ignore it.

He cleared his throat. "We need to move on, now. Keep up, 'kay?"

"There's…there's nowhere to go," Kid muttered, finding it difficult to speak. His wide shoulders drooped, face long with utter misery. "There's… _nothing_."

"It gets different on the other side of the mountain," Sanji said with some reassurance. "C'mon, now."

Perona looked down at the thin trail they were using to get down from this spot. In the distance she spotted what looked like the door they'd spoken of, in what seemed like hours ago. It was nearly hidden by rock and brush – if the fire hadn't hit as it had, it would continue to remain buried. These three stumbling upon it had only do so by chance – their footpath was visible through the blackened remains of the fire, coming from miles down below the mountain, meandering through what looked like massive foundations of relics eaten by time.

She trembled, rubbing her cold hands together – the sun's rays felt hot against her skin, but the air was something else. Suffocating with heat and smoke. She coughed, feeling dizzy. Looking down, she couldn't understand how they were expected to negotiate that tiny trail that gave away sharp drops and a brief climb over solid rock just to get down onto what was left of the first floor of the main administration building. Time had corroded the remains so badly that it looked only like a structured platform of settled rocks and dust; but she could see the vague outline of wall, a stairway, parts of a lobby floor.

She latched onto Kid as he stood. "Carry me."

Kid shoved her roughly away. "No!"

"Luffy!" she cried, jumping onto his back. Luffy ignored her, but he didn't push her away as Kid did. She wrapped her arms and legs around him and buried her face into the back of his sweaty neck. He was the wrong choice for her to make, because he leapt fearlessly from this ledge, bypassing the three making their way down carefully, caught onto a near straight cliff face, and back flipped down onto the ground. She didn't even have a chance to scream, but once the shock of impact hit, she flopped from him with a haggled sound. Luffy raced off, exploring the ground with disappointed noises.

Kid looked to Law. "Does any of it look familiar?"

Law shook his head, voiceless.

"We're doing this, right? We wanted to be outside."

Shrugging, Law started down the trail, Perona finally finding her voice to scream.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I used "The Mole" By Hans Zimmer and "Imagine" by a Perfect Circle.**

 **Naghi-Tan: he's going to need a lot of it! D:**

 **RR: THAT'S the right word! LOL I kept staring at it, knowing it was wrong, but unable to figure it out! XD One of those brain farts! I fixed it, thanks for pointing it out!**

 **Cheers: I cannot live without tacos D: Or Grape Rockstar. And you're probably right about Sanji D:**

 **: : Five**

Nearly an hour into the walk, they came into sight of the colony with its massive walls rising up from a terrain with broken city roads and water canals that once filtered to the ocean and back. The sight of concrete freeway structures showed them toppled frames with safety rails still attached – cables had long since snapped, dangling over broken edges, but they were only carcasses of what had once been so grand and large. Beyond that they could see the fire that burned in the distance, lighting up the mountaintop. This caused the four to stare at it with fascination. Unchecked it was a greedy creature of its own, spilling thick smoke into the sky, rendering half of it a dirty brown mist that made the sun glow red, shadows casted upon the ground like storm clouds.

There wasn't much to look at around them considering the damage caused as time left them behind, but their expressions showed their feelings as they took in the sight of a city that was no longer there. None of them said a thing as they gaped up at the shells of buildings that had survived the fire – they took in steel skeletons that were overgrown with flora, with animals taking up homes inside. Deer brayed some blocks away, grating noises as they sought mates that had fled further into the city streets.

Birds squawked overhead – their wingspans were bigger than a man, dangerous beaks open with blood tingling calls. Gone were the airy calls of seagulls – their voices were deeper and louder, sounding as if a miniature plane was coming in for a rough landing. Deer with antlers that looked like massive tree branches were accompanied with muscular and broad bodies – they stared at the humans with challenge in their eyes, the seasoned trio hurrying off in another direction to avoid a confrontation.

Humans were not on top of the food chain, the four learned. In their absence, animals had adapted to be bigger, grander, taking on characteristics that weren't common from their knowledge. Luffy was in awe of them – staring with wide eyes, amazed at their size, full of questions that none of the trio could truly answer. Even the insects were larger, much to Perona's dismay – she walked into a spiderweb that made it difficult for her to escape. Before anyone could help her, Sanji long gone, a dog-sized spider emerged quickly from a trapdoor it had created from trees and underbrush and caused the four to react with fright. Her shrill shrieking caused it to retreat, Kid and Law hurrying to help untangle her from the mess while Zoro and Ussop watched from a safe distance. It wasn't that they were trying to render aid, but to stop the manic sound from capturing the attention of any other predator that might be attracted to her screams. Luffy hastily approached the trapdoor, trying to challenge the spider. Perona climbed onto Kid's back and didn't get down, sobbing noisily at the change in the environment.

They continued on, the pace and distance brutal to the quartet as they weren't used to long distance travel. They were used to what they were capable of in the bunker – training had prepared them for short distances and promise of vehicular travel. Not strenuous physical settings that made it seem as if their conditioning had been all for naught.

"We weren't made to do this," Kid grumbled at one point, reaching up to wipe sweat from his face. He coughed, the effects of the smoke taking a toll on his seemingly new lungs. "They didn't train us for this type of thing."

"They used only burning buildings as a scenario," Law reminded him, eyes red and swollen from the particles that came with a wildfire. "Not something like this on a grand scale."

"Makes you think, eh? They expected us to do this one thing, relying on us to cut down on attackers in one shot, but never a situation like this. Everything was controlled and contained without any deviation."

"Tastes like burnt meat," Luffy said, snapping at the air with his mouth wide, the pair of men looking at him with expressions of disgust. The teen then coughed, swiping at his tongue, regretting his action almost immediately. "I'm so thirsty!"

Looking ahead of them as Kid impatiently addressed Luffy's complaint, Law watched Sanji. His eyes kept finding the blond, taking in his mannerisms and the sight of his cheer as he smoked cigarette after cigarette, joking and laughing with Ussop and Zoro over whatever it was that caught their humor. They were comfortable with their hostile environment with conditioned ease, their clothing choices making sense as they blended in. Every time he thought he was done looking at him, his eyes would find him again.

It made him think of Corazon; how the Marine would go over his expectations and practiced victories after an intense training session. He would talk to him humanely, not like an object like the others had, and Law had a hard time sorting out these useless subjects if they weren't anything he had any experience with.

"We're rewarded for things like this, right?" Law had asked one day, sitting sullenly in his chair and waiting for clean up to finish. In the other room, Luffy shouted fiercely at those seeking to contain him, having deviated from his task once again. The rumble of a failing wall indicated alarm in the Marines that were suited up and ready to fire tranquilizers, Sengoku's impatient commands growing louder as the noises continued.

"I WANT _OUT_!" he heard the teen scream desperately.

"The reward will be your victory in this war," Corazon had answered Law, marking down the conversation in a separate file. This year's expanded folder was full of notes everyone took on them – recording conversations and relevant topics that the head doctors needed to explore.

Examining his nails with a tut of irritation, Law had muttered, "It's not a victory if it's not something I want."

"What you want here is irrelevant out there," Corazon told him firmly. "There's nothing out there worth the trouble."

"It's ironic you say that to someone that had only seen the outside once."

" _Trust_ me," Corazon had said tiredly. "There's nothing out there but pain and selfishness. Anything that you think will be worth it turns out to be a waste of time when it slips from your fingers."

"I was only talking about a book, maybe even a new pair of shoes – none of your stupid relationship business."

"We broke up," Corazon said unenthusiastically. "Because she said I was 'too nice'. What the fuck does that even _mean_? How can you be ' _too nice_ '?"

Law had looked at him with disgust, unsure of why the man felt it was relevant to share such a useless topic with him.

"You're twenty three, now," Corazon had mentioned, looking over his file with surprise. The smile he'd given was hopeful. "After it's all over, you'll look back at this and take my words to heart, I hope."

"That's not hopeful at all."

Law wasn't sure why Corazon shared that sort of thing with him; it had never crossed his mind to share his space with another human being intimately. He'd thought it was selfish of one human being to 'crave' another. All because of these expectations that he saw displayed across the screen – how were people supposed to express things that seemed forced for the hope and entertainment of those watching it?

But this feeling he had whenever he watched Sanji felt like a craving – he started to acknowledge that the feelings he felt were similar to those of a book he wanted a read, a topic he wanted to master. Something to run to, something to run away from – a conflict of sensation that didn't make any sense.

When the barking of dogs began to echo through streets heavily smothered by flora that had escaped the fire's touch, they watched the trio take an immediate action. They signaled for them to take cover in broken structures, and so when they hastily found a place to climb, the four waited with apprehension to see why this action was so important. A pack of nearly fifty dogs came streaming down surrounding streets – all of them larger than a man, panting loudly as they hurried across the pavement with nails that clicked noisily over the broken asphalt. They weren't the individual classes traditional to books or movies – they resembled wolf-types, with some colorful characteristics reminiscent of those that they could identify. Much like the spotted cape Zoro wore, but shaded to fit these city streets.

"Why hide from them?" Luffy asked on a bewildered tone. "Maybe they taste better than the rabbit."

"That's a lot of teeth," Perona said with hesitation.

Luffy smothered his laugh behind his hands before saying, "Coming from you!"

"It's not like _I'm_ the one doing the eating!"

As they took cover on the third floor of a building that lacked a south side wall, Kid caught sight of Law staring blankly into the distance, a sense of despair on his features. He reached out and tapped him with the back of his hand, capturing his attention.

"It doesn't look the same?" Kid asked, indicating the world around them.

"None of it," Law answered quietly. Being the only one to retain memories of the outside world – circumstances that he tried to remember – only he knew of what the real world should look like.

"What should we do?"

"Fuck if I know."

"We should be cool with this," Luffy whispered, leaning over Perona to do so. "Because now people can't yell at me for eating these animals!"

" _Ugh_ , you're so _gross_ ," Perona complained, pushing him away.

"We're going to have to make our own way," Kid decided, clenching his fist. "Look, it's not what we're used to seeing, right? From the movies and shit? Think of it this way – we never even had a chance when it was our time! _This_ is a time and place we can conquer on our own, make our own rules!"

Law looked at him as Luffy leaned over him to look down into the streets below. " _Why_?" he blurted out skeptically. "What the hell are we going to have over people like these, people that know this land and are conditioned to survive it?"

"I don't know. I haven't thought it all the way out," Kid admitted.

"There are _no_ benefits. We're foreigners on unknown soil, we don't know what's out there that can benefit _us_ ," Law whispered with agitation. "We might be the strongest, but they know this land – we never had the chance to walk outside in our own time!"

"Then we sit back and learn," Kid decided.

Law frowned at him, looking back out into the street. "There's no benefit in being a weapon any longer, Eustass."

"Don't call me that, Trafalgar, you jerk."

" _We're not weapons_ ," Law repeated. "We're obsolete. Our purpose died when the world fell apart. We're not attached to this world without those Marines to tell us how to do it and when."

"We're now free to make our own choices," Kid hissed at him.

"What _choices_ are available to us?" Law asked incredulously, gesturing out at the streets.

Wearing a stubborn frown, Kid glared out ahead of them.

Law looked across the street to where the trio had taken cover on the second floor. The open walls revealed to him the sight of them laughing and talking amongst each other, using Ussop to reach out to snag a few berries from low hanging vines from outside. He found himself watching Sanji, drawn to his bright smile and the careful way he ate his snacks. They were natives to this world, used to the dangers and the benefits. They had a purpose – the four of them didn't. They would have to find something valuable to consider worth fighting for.

"Even if we aren't weapons, we deserve to live," Perona said haughtily.

"But _how_?" Kid asked impatiently. "The only way I know how is by force. We were trained to be one thing, _how the fuck_ do we be another?"

"I don't know."

Luffy shrugged.

Law thought it was a very relevant question. "We need to have a different outlook. It matters where we're going. Considering the length of time…in a way, we'll start anew."

Kid scoffed, glaring at the trio. "All I'm saying is if they're all as retarded as those guys are across the street, then something different needs to happen. There's only so much of that company I can keep."

"I just want to do _stuff_ ," Luffy said on a sigh. "I want freedom. I want to learn how to live like those guys so I can do my own thing."

A sharp whistle pierced the air, all of them looking over to see Ussop waving at them. Without hesitation, Luffy stretched his arms out and swung over to him, causing Ussop to scream with surprise as both of them connected, slamming down onto the broken floors.

"I'm _tired_ ," Perona complained. "And hungry and thirsty!"

"Do you gotta pee?" Kid asked her as they rose to standing.

"Kinda."

"There's your water."

" _EW_!"

On the street, Zoro scanned the visible blue skies then checked his watch. "When the sun starts dropping, it gets real cold," he warned the others. "We have to pick up the pace."

"How much longer?" Perona whined. "My feet hurt!"

"I can carry you on my back – " Sanji started to say when she immediately took up his offer, jumping on and heaving a sigh of relief. Before she could get comfortable, Law reached over and yanked her off roughly, causing her to fall against the pavement with an undignified screech. Sanji frowned at him as Kid laughed at her. "What's your deal?"

"She can endure it that much further. She's not a weakling," Law muttered, wondering why he did that. But just the sight of her arms curling around him bothered him in some way; like she was taking over something that belonged to him.

"It's kind of insulting after all these years," Kid admonished Perona, who stood slowly. "We all might as well be carried!"

"We might have to jog a little," Zoro told Perona, who glared up at Law as she rubbed her backside. "So shut your sauce box and let's get moving."

"'Sauce box'?" Perona repeated, covering the apex of her thighs with both hands. She then reached out and slapped him across the face, causing Zoro to stumble with an outraged expression. " _Pervert_!"

"Why you holding _there_ when he was talking about your mouth?" Ussop asked with bewilderment.

"What's so wrong with it being cold?" Luffy asked curiously. "It doesn't feel that way, now. My balls are sweaty."

"It causes a lot of trouble," Zoro said with a frown, rubbing his face. Sanji couldn't resist reaching out to jab at the red handprint with amusement, causing Zoro to slap him away. "Geez, keep that stuff to yourself."

"Well, it's true…"

"Are you a wolf man?" Perona asked him curiously, matching his strides. "That guy's a fox – are you one of those, too?"

Zoro shrugged, giving Sanji an uncertain look. "Yeah. Just a little."

" _Cool_! Show me!" she cried, clapping her hands.

"Are all of you with abilities?" Law asked, looking at Ussop.

"Some of us have gifts," Ussop said reluctantly. He glanced at his friends, to see just how far he should go with details. Sanji gave a small gesture with his fingers, so it was up to Ussop's decision to release the information. "It's to, uh, adapt? These two aren't from here – they're different, considered freaks."

"This world is different, but it couldn't be that treacherous for evolution to power up without the use of chemicals or genetic experimentation," Kid said.

"It doesn't feel that way here," Ussop agreed, unsure of the words the bigger man used. "It's calm here. But for other colonies, depending on what they're worth – it could be different. Talking with the diggers should help."

"'Diggers'?"

"The people that find our past."

" _Archaeologists_?"

"Yeah! That's the word! It's too hard to say, so we don't use it much."

"School should help that out," Kid said nastily. He looked up at the sight of an old streetlight, a relic covered in vines and nests that buzzed actively with some hidden insects.

"Is it in your way?" Zoro asked him with a touch of mockery. "Just walk around it."

"We don't go much," Ussop admitted as Kid glared after Zoro. "There are more important things for us to do, now. Find food, farm it, help with building, repairs, watching the perimeters of our area for anyone that might be a threat. A lot of take over happens. Need for slaves – you were a slave, weren't you, Zoro?"

"They tried," Zoro admitted reluctantly. "But I had enough of that."

"We rarely do any of that stuff," Ussop told Kid. "These two don't fit in, and it's my job to make sure they don't wander off. We might not see them again."

"This rapscallion gets lost a lot," Sanji snickered, patting Zoro's shoulder. "He might wander home and not find his way back."

"Shut up, no I wouldn't!"

"Who cares if they do?" Law said, scrunching up his face. "If they don't contribute, why bother?"

"It was a joke," Ussop said tentatively. "But they're no good at useful things. Robin sends them out to find relics. We're trying to build on what's left of the past, but it's super hard to find things, anymore. Finding you guys was our greatest find, yet! We usually come back with old stuff, but not humans."

"Living ones, at least," Zoro said. "Usually just bones. The diggers do something with them, I don't know."

"This like a Mad Max sorta thing?" Kid asked skeptically. "People hide out in secured lots and defend base from each other?"

"People come in from wherever and try to take control of the colony, slaves – it can be _horrible_. But this place is great! The sea protects us from one side, the mountain on the other! The walls are secure, and we got a great bunch of fighters!"

"Who runs it?"

"His name's Iceburg. He takes care of the place and for some reason, people trust him. So far, so good," Ussop added with a shrug.

"Does anyone sail the sea?" Luffy asked, looking at the sliver of water visible through the clouds. "Because the ocean looks real cool!"

"No," Sanji answered with a stiff frown. "You think land animals are bad? The ones in the water are the worst. No defenses."

"Take his word for it, he did it once," Zoro told Luffy.

"It was a long time ago," Sanji admitted. "I don't remember too much of things from back then."

"Then you're not from here," Law confirmed.

"No. Neither this guy and I aren't. But we live here just fine."

"This place is separated from the bigger land mass by a series of rivers," Ussop told them. "After the bombs hit, land mass was cracked by impact, pulling away from the main land a little at a time. That's what Robin said."

"This Robin sounds like a real know-it-all," Kid remarked.

"She would be the one to know more about history than any of us. Maybe you guys can talk to her! She might explain things better."

They came to a sharp drop-off that ran swiftly with hard rushing water. The four of them froze as they stared down at the upsetting display, noting the sharp edges of broken concrete, visible rebar from fallen buildings, shapes of cars that provided unforgiving obstacles. A piece of railing looked to have fallen from a mighty freeway, sunken and shaped into an L that looked untrustworthy. It had once been a major water canal, but had grown grander since that time, resembling a near mile long river. But the three maneuvered onto the railing, shimmying along the narrow edged until reaching a sharp reclining wall of striped concrete.

Zoro and Sanji made it look easy – unwavering as their feet took to the thin metal, their fingers catching invisible ridges that they climbed quickly to reach the break in the L, scrambling to the top to look down at them. Ussop held tightly onto pieces of rebar as he followed after them, booted feet slipping slightly on the railing just above the water.

"This is disgusting," Kid muttered, staring down at the rushing river with apprehension.

"It looks shallow," Law said.

"Then you walk through it first!"

Kid's face scrunched with apprehension as Perona surveyed the obscenely wide crevasse. Luffy shook his head slightly before stretching an arm out, catching hold of a broken piece of freeway support – Perona snatched onto him tightly as he pulled himself in that direction with a cheerful yell that echoed along the canal.

" _Fuck_ ," Kid muttered.

"There's metal," Law pointed out.

"Move me."

"I don't have that type of energy. I'm relying on you."

"Ugh, you're such a _brat_!" Kid snapped at him. Ussop had just barely climbed up to join his friends when the piece shifted underneath him. Startled, the three of them looked out to see Kid lift the railing clear from the concrete, debris raining down into the water. He straightened it to form a bridge they could walk over onto the other side, pieces of the broken freeway dropping in large pieces into the water, forming new currents that caused the water to move differently.

"This kinda thing ain't right," Zoro whispered low to Sanji. "Nobody should have that kind of power. It could be troublesome."

"I'm sure once they get used to things, they won't be so dangerous," Sanji whispered back. "Caged animals need to learn that the world isn't always about to hurt them."

Zoro grunted, still frowning. Sanji bumped him with his shoulder before turning away, spying Luffy and Perona swinging from the remains of the freeway. Both of them were gazing down at what remained of a long ago landslide, dirt spilled and hardened over what had once been a residential area. A creek ran through it to join the water in the canal, the burn scar of the wildfire leaving it completely black. With one last look at the sinking sun, Zoro turned to lead the way.

Half hour later, that action had left Kid with no energy to continue. He plopped down within the center of the road with a loud complaint, refusing to move. Already the air felt much cooler than it had earlier, and the sky was filled with red from the setting sun and the smoke of the fire. It turned everything around them a hazy orange, smoke so thick that it was difficult to breathe. The four of them kept coughing, Ussop looking at his field oxygen mask with a frown.

"At least we're in sight of the colony," he said, gazing into the distance. The walls were colored a rustic brown, built out of scrap material and concrete. They could see smoke from the few factories, and hear the clanging of construction vehicles. Somewhere in the distance, a gunshot rang out.

"We shouldn't camp out here," Zoro said restlessly. "Too many things could go wrong."

"Don't be a meater. Are you willing to carry that guy?" Sanji asked him with uncertainty. "Because he doesn't look like he's going to move anytime soon."

Scowling, Zoro frowned back at them. The other three were as restless as he was, but they were willing to leave him behind. It struck him how indifferent they were to each other; as much as they ragged on each other, settled in with a sharp word or action to dispel any physical wrong-doing, they did not seem open to each other. Their body language gave enough of this away, as they kept walking, Kid glaring after them. Zoro looked to Sanji.

"It makes no difference to me if there's one less," he said low.

"We can't just leave someone behind. They don't know what to do out here."

"He's got abilities! He just needs time to rest them," Ussop argued. "He'll be fine if he can see that we're so close!"

"It would be wrong," Sanji insisted. "Look, take the others. I'll find a place to stay. I've got matches."

"We're not leaving you behind because of him," Zoro snapped with exasperation. "He just needs to put one foot in front of the other – "

"It's not going to happen. The other one is tired, too," Sanji pointed out, gesturing at Luffy. The teen was eager to get moving, but his steps stumbled, and his face drooped with exhaustion. There was no telling when he would stop as well.

Heaving a heavy sigh, Zoro glanced around themselves. It was too dangerous to move when the nighttime predators emerged from their homes to hunt. They would be fine because they knew the layout of the area, and knew how to defend themselves. But they would have to defend the others, too. Sanji knew he'd won this bout again as Zoro looked away with a shake of his head.

"Go on ahead," Zoro then told Ussop. "Get that stuff to Robin before we can show up tomorrow. If they're prepared, I'm sure we'd be okay with it."

Ussop looked apprehensive about this, but because the colony was in sight, he reluctantly agreed. He patted their shoulders, then hurried off in a slow jog to race the setting sun.

"We're going to find shelter," Zoro then called out, the three looking at him with disappointment. Amidst the arguing of the younger pair, he noticed Law frown back at Kid, Kid glaring back at him.

"Where's that guy going?" Kid asked, gesturing at Ussop. "Why's he going if it's so dangerous out?"

"Don't worry about him. He's a meater that knows how to survive."

Glaring at him for the tone, Kid debated on arguing with him even further, but Perona kicked him lightly to shut his mouth.

Taking shelter on a broken fourth story platform inside of what had used to be an apartment building, Zoro and Sanji unfurled an urban camouflage tarp that had patches of fur over it, and then tied it down tent style from wall to floor to create a mini-shelter. They then found branches and pieces of vine to decorate over it, effectively forming a hideaway barely visible from the distance. The temperature drop was finally noticed, the four sitting close together as the pair worked quickly to gather some food and water. Seeing that they'd had canteens on them all this time made Perona complain, but she quickly silenced herself when the low howl of something massive rang out over the darkening streets.

"We're so exposed," Kid complained, frowning at the piece of tarp ahead of him. Huddled against him was Luffy and Perona, Law taking the edge closest to the wall. In their suits, built to withstand life sustaining fluids, all of them were shivering lightly. Perona glared at the pair that were prepared for the temperature change, their hoods up and their ties tight to keep their bodies warm.

"It's _really_ cold," Perona complained.

"It's not that bad," Luffy admonished, but his teeth were chattering audibly. "Can't we light a fire?"

"Trafalgar's good at starting fires," Kid snickered.

"Let it go," Law told him impatiently. "It'll never match your last tantrum."

"My _makeup_ ," Perona whined piteously.

They all looked up as Zoro returned from a brief excursion with an armful of fruit he'd helped Sanji pick. He distributed an equal amount to them, and they dug in eagerly. Then retracted with visible displays of dismay.

"What, this isn't good enough either?" Zoro asked dully.

"This tastes nothing like how an apple should taste," Perona muttered, frowning at the piece of fruit. " _Eeegghh_! It has bugs on it!"

"It can be considered extra nutrients."

"Is it mutated?" Law asked thoughtfully, examining the misshapen lump. It was much smaller than the ones he was familiar with, shaded a light orange. The taste was sour, yet juicy, and he was sure his stomach didn't like it very much. "Combined with another fruit?"

"Don't know what that means, but this is the usual," Zoro said, Sanji catching up to him with an armful of branches he'd cut hastily to retrieve berries. "They're good for when you can't cook anything open flame."

"We have to pick these ourselves?" Luffy asked piteously as thorns made it difficult for him to extract the fruit that spilled sweet juice over his tongue. It was a struggle just to get to them, even as the branch was short in length.

Giving them all a frown as he crunched into an apple, Sanji said, "Bejabbers, if ya'll want to live, you'll do what it takes. Can't be picky if you ain't in your element."

"'Bejabbers'? Are you insulting us?" Luffy asked, trying to sound stern but confused by the word.

"It's an expression," Law muttered. "I heard the other guy say it plenty of times today. The way he uses it, it's probably like _Jesus_!, or some curse used as an adjective."

"Enough with your big words and phrases, cuz I don't understand any of them."

"They never prepared us for this sort of thing," Kid muttered bitterly, glaring at his apple. He tossed it away from him, stomach grumbling noisily. Sanji looked at him with outrage, Zoro holding onto his elbow to keep him from going after it. "This colony must have better."

"Let natural selection take its pick," Zoro muttered to Sanji as he turned away to look off into the distance, observing the moon rise. His breath was visible as he exhaled heavily. The cries of wolves on the south end of the city caused Perona to push against Kid for comfort, the man elbowing her away impatiently. Seeing them shiver, Sanji finished his apple. He tossed the core into the street below, where something larger rattled past the frame of the building, causing a shaking that had them all reaching out to catch themselves.

As the darkness settled, Law stared up at the night sky, Luffy leaning over him to take in the sight as well. All the stars twinkled brightly, unencumbered by any light pollution. The swirling colors of lights beyond those cast an eerie glow that could not be captured by any IMAX screen. While smoke continued to drift over their vision, flames licking untamed further towards the coast, it was still something completely different from the walls of the bunker.

"So much is out there for us," Luffy whispered to him in awe. "We just gotta get there."

"For _what_?" Law asked, shoving him away.

"Dude, we've been looking forward to getting out of that place all this time!" Kid snapped at Law, leaning over to look at him. "Now you're acting like all this freedom ain't shit. What's your fucking problem?"

Incredulously, Law asked, "What is out here that's worth the freedom? What we've known of freedom was what was given to us! This is an entirely different setting where none of it makes any sense to us – we're not even top of the food chain, anymore. Like I'd mentioned before, we are obsolete!"

"Yeah, but - !"

"These men here mentioned that they are with natural abilities, most likely caused as an evolutionary adaptation to the change in environment. _We_ were violently modified and forced into it for one purpose only, and with that purpose removed, what are we now? We're floppy disks to a USB."

"Not _that_ bad," Kid scoffed.

"No filter," Sanji murmured to Zoro.

"What's a 'USB'?" Zoro asked with bewilderment.

"This means we don't even know if we're at the top anymore, stupid," Law finished bitterly.

"Not like we've ever backed down from a challenge," Kid muttered. "So we find out what's what, make a decision from there!"

"We can't even find suitable things to eat!"

At that, their stomachs all rumbled with force, Sanji closing his eyes with heavy irritation.

"We were made for victory, but with that out of the way, _whose_ victory are we seeking?" Law muttered, wrapping an arm around his middle.

"Ours," Luffy said with a puzzled expression. "To live out an adventure and be the best at it."

" _You_ lack impulse control. _You_ lack temperament. _You_ lack balls. _I_ lack interest. None of us will succeed in this world, either. We were too confined for too long, we don't know how to live! What is there to live for if we don't know _anything_ to live for, without the command of someone else?"

Kid sighed heavily, drawing a hand down his face. "You always get this way. You're like one of those emo kids that didn't bother pulling himself from the locker you were stuffed in because you're convinced it's now your world. Break out of there yourself, dude, c'mon…"

"This colony, once they accept us, will not fully embrace us," Law warned them. "We've only lived with each other, subdued forcefully if we acted out and followed the command of others that only wanted to use us. You think you'll follow in easily with their orders? If you don't like something, how will you cope with it?"

"I don't know! I don't think about those sorts of things!"

"We weren't fully embraced in our own world, we'll be rejected here as well."

Kid reached out over Luffy's head and shoved Law to the side. "If you can't say anything positive, then shut up!"

" _Enough_ ," Zoro interrupted firmly, giving them puzzled looks. Perona looked upset, Luffy frowning, Kid growing red with suppressed anger, Law bitterly angled away from them. "For a buncha cats trapped a long time in cages, you sure ain't appreciative of the things you were gifted once you got out. For what it's worth, you gotta second chance. Cuz only _you_ dictate what can be done with the rest of your life!"

"Yeah, I mean, I can change things if it doesn't fit my conditions," Kid said, "once I'm in top shape again, I doubt anyone would say 'no' to me, again."

"That's _not_ what I meant."

" _This_ is who we are," Law said, rising from the floor, Luffy flopping over onto his warmed spot, seeking heat. "And you'll still let us into your colony?"

"Lay off it!" Kid snapped at him, rising. Perona and Luffy watched with interest, with no indication of interfering. "Give it a rest! Aren't you always the one saying to sit back and wait?"

"Once these people see who we really are, they're not going to want us there! They're going to be afraid of us! They'll react predictably and we'll read them as attacking us, and we'll attack next, and _no one_ will accept us after that!" Law snapped back, their voices rising.

" _Quiet_!" Zoro hissed as something barked in the distance. "We're still outside, we're easy pickings out here!"

" _Shh_!" Luffy contributed, sitting with his arms around his knees, Perona mimicking the position as she watched the back and forth with interest.

"If you don't like it, you can go back to that place where you were more comfortable! Rot there with your memories!" Kid snapped over Zoro's warning. "But you ain't bringing the rest of us down with you."

Before Zoro could say anything else, Sanji stepped in between them with an annoyed roll of his eyes. " _Enough_. Both of you guys are too loud. We're gonna get eaten by something big."

"Us against a fucking _animal_? We've been taking out tanks and hordes of armored soldiers, animals would be _easy pickings_!" Kid retorted.

"If ya'll want a chance, then _shut up_. If not, we'll take our leave."

"I'm coming with you," Luffy said hastily, rising to his feet. "I want more food."

"I want clothes and stuff," Perona decided, climbing to hers. "We'll leave these guys behind."

"Hey! Where's the loyalty?" Kid asked them with dismay.

Perona and Luffy shielded their eyes and looked around themselves, Kid's shoulders and arms dropping heavily to his sides.

"We weren't told we had to be loyal towards each other," Perona pointed out. "All that they wanted was us to be strong and powerful towards our opponents. None of them ever said we had to be friends."

"It's like that, huh?" Kid muttered, furrowing his brow.

Sanji and Zoro observed this with bewildered expressions before Zoro asked, "How could you guys live together all this time and not have any devotion towards each other?"

"Did you?" Kid asked, pointing at each one. "When you met, you instantly thought, Yeah, this dude's cool, we're going to be friends."

"Well, no," Zoro admitted.

"I kinda wasn't human for a very long time around him," Sanji said. "I made him adopt me."

"Things just happened from there," Zoro added with a shrug.

"That's just _weird_ ," Kid muttered, narrowing his eyes.

After a few moments, Sanji turned to Law. "Come. Let's go for a walk."

"I want to go!" Luffy exclaimed. "Why does _he_ get to go?"

"Because his mind's not up to dick."

Kid smothered his guffaw with both hands, Luffy's mouth dropping with confusion, Perona's eyes widening with shock. Law just looked at Sanji with an embarrassed frown while Sanji looked at them with a puzzled tilt of his head.

"So I thought we'd discuss it."

Kid set his hands on his hips, looking at Sanji with a head to toe examination. "So _you're_ going to make him see the light by showing dick?"

" _No_ ," Sanji said, mystified. "We can't use light out here. The predators will find us. Besides, there's no showing of 'dick' – now you have me all poked up. I think we crossed some lines, here."

Kid guffawed again, Law looking at him with an even more abashed expression. "I'm sure what he's saying isn't what we're thinking!" he snapped at him.

" _Bejabbers_ ," Zoro muttered, crossing his arms. To Sanji he said, "Don't go mafficking wherever you go. We don't need that sorta thing here."

"It's not like that," Sanji assured him with a curious blush.

"What the fuck is 'mafficking'?" Kid demanded tiredly, sitting down.

Uncertain of what Sanji wanted, but wanting to get away from Kid's attitude, Law agreed to Sanji's request with a shrug.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: "Skies," Alexandre Desplat, "Hardscrabble Elergy," Dickon Hinchliffe, and "Married Life", Michael Giacchino.**

 **Penumbra: Oh yes, problems and more! :D A little out of my comfort zone D:**

 **Happy Balon: LOL That's totally okay! Bring it on! Hope the rest of my stuff continues to entertain!**

 **Naghi-Tan: Both of them are pretty fond of each other, so when the next chapter comes, it'll be a little intense. Since it has been them on their own for some time, they're almost brothers in relationship; which will cause a few problems D:**

 **Sarge1130: It was a prison for the few living there. Now that they're out and about, they can't help but realize just how unprepared they were. Which makes them dangerous to other people D:**

 **: : Six**

"I used to think the way you do," Sanji told Law a few minutes later. Both of them were sitting in the stairway that broke off from the center of a landing, an open pit visible beneath them. The creaky sounds of the structure made Law intensely nervous, but the other man was comfortable sitting where he was. They could hear the voices of the others coming softly overhead, but they could also see a little of the open street nearby. The rustling sounds of birds nesting for the night caused too much distraction for Law, because it was unsettling how big the creatures were. As indifferent as they were to humans, the sight of creatures that should have been smaller than his own hands made him uncomfortable.

The inky black night was unsettling – there was always light on at the bunker, so being without the comfort of it felt overwhelming and intimidating. Law struggled to keep himself calm and alert, but he was at the mercy of the pair that had remained behind with them. He couldn't imagine what the four of them would do if they wandered out into the land without any assistance.

"Being not from here, I didn't think I'd fit in very easily," Sanji continued thoughtfully. "But it took a little time."

Forehead in palm, Law muttered, "I think our circumstances are completely different."

"Like ya'll I…come from a place where my life was made out on paper to follow. It didn't go right. They left me to die, but I found good things to look forward to." Sanji shifted on the step to dig through his pockets, and the stairway made a loud creaking sound that was accompanied with a shudder. Law thought to get up and walk away before it could collapse, but Sanji calmly continued with, "You just got out. There's time to see, time to learn."

"I've always wanted out but now that I am, it's a completely different situation than what I thought it would be. _None_ of it is what I thought it would be."

"Then it's a brand new start."

"You say that so easily," Law muttered. "It's not that easy. We were discouraged from developing anything remotely close to empathy in order not to give an enemy a chance. So how do we fit in?"

Forehead furrowed as he struggled to understand, Sanji said, "If you act like a beardsplitter, you'll be treated as one."

Law frowned at him, puzzled. Catching this, Sanji gestured at his crotch, Law finally understanding the reference. "Ah. _That's_ what it means…"

Fiddling with a cracked thumbnail, Sanji asked low, "Give it a week. Keep your words to yourself. Do as they say, it'll be easier."

"Following orders from yet another entity that wants to dictate my life?" Law asked incredulously.

"That big guy said you watch and wait. Why not this?"

"Because I know I'll fuck it up!"

"You do that a lot?"

Law could feel himself tensing up. He felt like he was being grilled by one of the base's head doctors, or Corazon himself as Sanji lit up a cigarette. The similarities between them was an uncomfortable comparison because he did not think of Corazon the way he looked at Sanji. He had found Corazon unbearably airheaded and soft; his clumsiness had caused too much trouble for the both of them, and he unconsciously fiddled a scar on his forearm where Corazon had accidently speared him with a pen after interviewing him. It was an accident; the man had lifted from his chair to leave when he tripped – _somehow_ – the pen head stabbing right into his forearm.

Sanji was physically appealing in that everything about him was equally as captivating, and now as they were seated together so closely, Law could feel the warmth of him radiating against him. The scent of him was strong; not only was it the stench of tobacco, but a light touch of body odor and something masculine that wasn't cologne or soap. It made his skin heat up because he couldn't stop himself from taking a deep breath just to soak it in. It made him want to draw closer to smell more of it.

He leaned into the other man with his nose against Sanji's shoulder, who reacted with alarm, nearly dropping his cigarette. The blond hastily pushed him back, looking at him with bewilderment.

" _What are you doing_?" he asked as Law straightened away from him without any reaction to his gesture.

Law shrugged, looking at his own hands. "Smelling you, I guess…"

"Are you part _dog_?" Sanji asked on a mystified tone.

"I just thought you smelled good."

"You don't… _you don't just_ …go up to someone and _smell_ them," Sanji sputtered, lowering his cigarette to the step he sat upon.

"Why?" Law asked with a frown. "No one cared about _my_ space. This sort of thing should be fine with others."

"No, you _muckspout_ , that's not 'fine'," Sanji exclaimed, scooting away from him. He took a troubled drag of his cigarette before exhaling, "I barely even know you."

For a few moments, Law felt his anger build hotly. _So, he'd messed this up, too_.

Sensing his rising discomfort, Sanji dashed ashes to the side and said, "You can only do it to people close to you – "

"I want to be close to you," Law told him stubbornly, piercing him with a steady stare.

Sanji felt his face redden, his ears turning hot.

"I don't know why," Law added. "Your speech is atrocious."

Sanji didn't know what to say to that. In this short amount of time, he was aware that none of them could hold back on their thoughts and words, and it would make sense that this sort of thing came with it. He just never thought it would be this type of situation.

"Well, ain't that…something," he murmured awkwardly.

"It's almost like those movies were true. _Ridiculous_. But I can't stop myself from looking at you."

Face red, Sanji struggled to answer. His cigarette burned all the way down to his fingertips, and he hastily threw it aside. Law wore a puzzled expression as he gazed off to the left, hearing the strange whirr of something that fluttered nearby.

Awkwardly, Sanji rubbed at the back of his neck, unsure of what to say after all of that. The tension in the kitchen made sense now, but also let him know that he wasn't crazy when he'd read the man. Were these people so sheltered that anything remotely different from their routines caused them to lack basic human interaction? Shouldn't this emotion be well-known?

He stilled when he felt Law push up against him again, inhaling lightly of him. He went rigid because he felt pushing him away was too harsh, and because he felt that if he did, the man would just get angry. After all, he was just smelling and looking at him – there was no harm in it. Weird and uncomfortable, but there was nothing wrong with it. Sanji's skin burned with embarrassment as he felt Law's hands in his hair, lifting strands up to feel them between his fingertips.

Awkwardly, he reached up and caught his hand firmly by the wrist, forcing it away from his head. " _Stop_ ," he ordered gently, pushing it to rest on Law's lap. "This sorta thing is…unsuitable. You should do it only with – "

"I just want you," Law told him.

Sanji gave him a puzzled look. "But it's not a full moon."

Puzzled by that comment, Law waited for him to explain that, but Sanji turned away with a sense of embarrassment. Law leaned in again, feeling uplifted upon smelling the combination available to him on Sanji's clothes and skin. It made him feel warm and light inside, like a soothing scent that brought memories of comfort and security. "None of them will have this smell."

Sanji cringed tightly as he felt Law's face against his neck. It was almost as if he had a very large animal invading his space to get to know him – but he couldn't deny the shiver he felt as a result of it. He knew it was risky but the thrill of it confused his common sense. That caused concern to build, an edge of panic that made him acknowledge that this behavior would be something he would be okay with in the upcoming future. He glanced up to make sure Zoro wasn't looking over to check on him, and saw nothing but complete darkness from up top.

Once he felt Law's hands suddenly lock onto his jaw and back, he quickly pushed him back and stood up, breathing tightly. "I only came here to talk nice, not get handled."

"Is it that wrong?" Law asked stiffly, standing to glare down at him. Sanji was reminded of his height, having to tilt his head back to look up. This guy was too tall – there weren't very many people that were within the colony.

" _Yes_! How you feel if some guy did _that_ to you?"

Law thought about it, frowning as he considered the details. "I suppose I wouldn't like it…"

After a few moments he added, "I'd like it if it were you."

Sanji gave him a tired expression. "But you need consent - "

"Then can I have it?"

Sanji wiped his sweaty hands on his pants, feeling pressured to say something appropriate. Not to be discouraging – he wasn't one that stood in front of any type of love, but this…this felt dangerous to him. Not that he _wasn't_ interested – he was well aware that he'd appreciated the man's physical form so it wasn't that he _didn't_ have an interest…

"You need to earn it," he said quietly.

Law gave him a puzzled look. "How?"

"I…I don't know, you…" Sanji trailed off, absolutely baffled on how to answer that. Scrambling to say something, blowing into his cold hands, he said, "I…well, this one time, this guy looking for my favor before a moon – "

"There are others?" Law asked, feeling his neck stiffen at the thought.

"Well…everyone's been courted a few times, even us…"

"I don't like that."

"No one really likes competing, but – "

"I won't like seeing that."

"Well, it's not up to you, so – "

"I don't like having my things taken from me when I rightfully earned them."

"You don't 'earn' a human being!" Sanji snapped at him.

"If I don't like something being taken from me, I'm not going to just stand there like a dumb ass and let it happen!"

"You can't be like this! I'm not a _thing_ to be won!"

For a few moments, Law wondered where he'd heard that line before. He was positive it was from one of Perona's cartoons. Before it could hit him where he'd heard it, Sanji started back up the stairs, seething at the entirety of the conversation.

"If you're not a 'thing to be won', then why is it taking a lot of people to catch your favor?" Law asked curiously. Sanji stopped walking to look back at him with an incredulous expression. Waiting for an answer, he followed up after him while Sanji worked his mouth, trying to release the thoughts that came crashing to a messy halt at the tip of his tongue.

" _Fine_!" Sanji then managed to snap at him. "You got me there."

"So…I win?"

" _NO_!" With another panicked look at the top, sure his voice had been loud enough to rouse the other man's attention, Sanji hissed at him, " _Behave_. This stays between us!"

Law wasn't about to share it with the others, but he knew he'd have a hard time holding back if he saw other men 'courting' Sanji. Looking at him the same way he did, wanting to be close – just the thought of it made him incredibly angry. It made him feel the way he would if Luffy snatched one of his books, or Kid took off with his shirt, or Perona ate one of his favored snacks when he wasn't looking. How was he supposed to hold back when it happened? He confronted the others to make them stay away – the gesture returned whenever he invaded their space – but how was he expected to 'behave'?

"We went off topic," he then said. "What were you saying earlier, about fitting in?"

Pausing in mid-step, Sanji's jumbled thoughts ground to a halt. He couldn't remember what they were talking about before that so once it came to him, he said, "You'll be fine."

"You were an experiment, too?"

"…Yes. But…I live a different life, now."

"Was it associated with what you could do?"

"Yes."

"Were you like us?"

Sanji shrugged. "No. Like it's been said, there are colonies that just wanna make it. Some wanna destroy."

"So war demolished this world, but it never went away."

"Yeah that…that pretty much says it."

"Then perhaps we're not so obsolete after all," Law murmured thoughtfully.

"Does that make you feel better?" Sanji asked tentatively.

Law shrugged. He'd need to think about that for a little longer, perhaps after some time sitting back to observe a little more. Waiting to see if he'd say anything else, Sanji then noticed the way Law looked at him again. Roving over his entire body before meeting his eyes and holding contact until Sanji hastily looked away. He felt too aware of it, flustered all of a sudden because he could feel his instincts responding in a way that wasn't appropriate for the moment. He looked out at the night sky, apprehensive for the full moon's arrival.

Zoro had a flashlight he used to help guide their way back to them. Perona and Luffy were curled back to back against each other, Kid in a seated position against the wall, the three of them snoring lightly. Seeing two faces filled with frustration made Zoro curious as Sanji plopped down next to him.

"Did it go well?" Zoro asked on a low whisper.

" _No_."

Shrugging as the pair of them took a seated position near the younger set, Law kicking Kid to move, Zoro said, "Well, this is you on ya own."

"Oh, hush, you moldy rantallion," Sanji grumbled, handing him his cape before shifting form. As a fox, he curled up onto Zoro's lap as the man made himself comfortable, pulling the extra cape over the pair of them. Zoro did catch sight of Law frowning in their direction, but he huffed and turned away with his arms crossed tightly in front of him. Unsure of the sudden tension, Zoro shrugged it off and prepared to sleep.

Near afternoon the next day, they finally arrived at the colony. The four of them wore awestruck tourist expressions as they continued to take in the sights around them. The skies had cleared around their territory, a light breeze pushing the wildfire smoke back towards the point of origin, but continued to tinge the sun orange. The sky was a bright blue, clouds building over the sea with lazy strength. All the flora that escaped the wildfire's range was bright and healthy, and the wildlife noises echoed through the streets like those they'd imagine coming from a zoo.

As the four were taking in the sight of a deer herd moving through what was left of a freeway outlet, Zoro said low to Sanji, "I don't think they gonna be that happy when they see us back so soon."

"I'm sure other things will be more important," Sanji assured him. He fiddled with his backpack straps. "We've got plenty of time."

"I hope this goes well," Zoro said on a sigh. "Otherwise, we just made a fool of us."

"It'll be _fine_ ," Sanji said with exasperation. "Stop being a _meater_."

"You zounderkite, I ain't! It's just…!" Zoro trailed off with uncertainty.

They were met along the wide dirt road leading up to the massive gates by several armored men and Robin, Ussop prancing with worry around her until they came into sight. He raced up to them waving his arms about, as if they'd miss seeing him.

"They have guns," Kid reported with irritation, shoulders straightening. "They greet everyone like that?"

"Outside the walls, people have to be prepared," Zoro told him. Kid noticed the new tension in the man's face – the way he looked warily at those present, the unconscious way he touched his swords as they approached. It was unusual body language for someone that called this place _home_ , and Kid wasn't sure what to make of it.

Kid added, "I'm just saying, it's not the best way to greet people, especially when they already have a thing about guns."

"Not like _you_ should be afraid of them, you crazy meater." Zoro pointed out as the woman all in white that approached them cautiously. The stern expression on her face told the pair that she was aware of whom she was to meet, today. Unnaturally grim, she looked the four over while Ussop reunited with Zoro and Sanji, hissing questions underneath his breath.

Tall, wearing a white jumpsuit with a wool cape pulled over her shoulders, Robin looked like something that had emerged from a Vogue magazine. Perona's eyes widened with awe, gasping lightly as the sheer size and beauty of the woman had her mesmerized. Robin's long hair was braided loosely over one shoulder, but around her crown was another braided section with artfully pulled vines that left the style flowy.

"Good morning," Robin greeted the four, all of whom kept eying the weapons of the men nearby. There was a stiff tension in the air that made her slightly nervous, catching sight of the way the four seemed to prepare themselves; then she looked to the pair that stood just as tense nearby. She couldn't give them any sort of relief, folding her hands in front of her. "We've been expecting you."

"What sorta shit is this?" Kid asked, feeling his fists tighten. "Everyone treated this way?"

"We must be cautious with every visitor that wanders up to our doorstep," Robin told him calmly. "But after learning who you four are, I just want to say this is _exciting_! You are living relics from the past, with so much information we can share with each other!"

"I don't like seeing guns pointed at me," Luffy said tightly, frowning deeply. "Everyone wants to start a fight right away, and I was really looking forward to just seeing things."

"Maybe they can be put away?" Sanji asked.

Law noticed the way the blond was regarded by the men in armor – faces flitting with irritation before looking back at them. He looked back at Robin, then beyond them – the walls were the size of a three story building, but there were men atop of it looking down with weapons in hand.

After a few tense moments, Robin made a gesture for the men to lower their guns. They did so reluctantly, but their fingers never left the trigger guard. Swallowing, she said, "It must have been a shock to wake up in this world after yours was destroyed. I would love to trade stories – I have enough here to inform you of what happened after – "

"All that happened that _we_ know," Perona interrupted, "is that Sengoku had us put away because this _big dummy_ here was throwing a tantrum! _Then_ we wake up to these hicks letting us out! They talked about bombs, but we don't know anything!"

"We were kept in the dark all this time," Kid added. "We don't know shit about what happened."

"I know that each and every one of you was built to suit a certain task in order to face a great enemy," Robin said. Law wondered why her speech was distinctively different from the trio's – every word carefully uttered and pronounced correctly. "All of you underwent extensive experimentation and research. Most importantly, all of you were reliant on a series of chemical injections – did that stop before your sleep, or was it a continued effort?"

"They stopped giving us shots three months before," Law told her. "We were done. So far, none of us experienced any symptoms of withdrawal or rejection. Our last physical showed nothing unusual – we're healthy."

"During these times, we wouldn't have anything to assist if your bodies required more," Robin said. "While we handle certain chemicals in our factories, we do not lodge very many scientists here. This is a very simple farming community. I'm sure these two told you guys that we're not a colony of conflict."

"Yeah, we got that," Kid muttered. "Look, we're not trying to start stuff! All we wanted was out that bunker and we want to live our lives. If we have to depend on others for now, well, fuck it. We'll do that."

"At our terms," Perona added stiffly. Robin's eyebrows lifted.

"You'll come here with demands?" she asked.

"We don't want to live the way we were back there!" Perona protested. "Being told what to do and how to do it! I want to figure it out on my own, but I want someone being there to tell me how!"

"You're not allowed to talk right now," Kid told her, pushing her by face backwards. "Look, lady, they said there's a bigger guy ruling out here. We wanna talk to him."

Robin glanced at Zoro and Sanji, both of whom looked a little worried. Sanji approached her saying, "They don't got people skills," he said. "They need to be taught right."

"We're not _kids_!" Kid snapped at him. Law reached out and hit him with the back of his hand, gesturing at him to shut up. Hitting him back, Kid did take a step away.

"I'll take responsibility for them," Sanji added.

" _Malarkey_ ," one of the men grumbled.

"This is a situation that should've required at least a fortnight to consider," Robin told Sanji. "As it is, it's nearly full moon – if neither of you will be here to work on your task, could they be trusted on their own?"

"We never thought we'd find something like this up there," Zoro muttered. "Being with them so far, they just babies. They shouldn't be that much trouble while we're gone."

Kid made to shout when Law grabbed him by the shoulder, squeezing hard enough to have the man cringing at the contact. Perona looked insulted until she realized why Law was doing so. She reached out and pulled Luffy to a hug against her, arms around his neck while he stood woodenly.

"Ma'am? Listen, it's been _really_ tough," Perona said, batting her lashes underneath her bangs with an innocent expression. "We've had people treat us _real mean_ all our lives, so when the chance came to be free? We want it! No matter what, even if it means real tough changes to ourselves in the process! We're _totally_ willing to do it!"

"Perona, isn't it?" Robin smiled lightly. "As eldest, it should be expected of you to speak for the others."

"' _Oldest'_?" Zoro repeated, dumbfounded.

"Yeah, I know, it's weird that she's older than me," Kid said.

"I realize it's a shock for you, but don't judge me any differently!" Perona snapped at Zoro.

"Where are you going?" Law asked Sanji curiously, the blond looking sheepish.

"Some parts of us get a little different certain times of the month," he muttered awkwardly. "We come back when we all settled."

Law didn't understand, but he could see those men looking at the pair of them without any warmth to their expressions. "Are you both _hated_ here?" he asked with some bewilderment.

"Not 'hated'," Robin interrupted quickly.

"I told you guys that these two were considered freaks around here," Ussop mumbled. "Not everyone has abilities, but _they're_ different."

"Superhumans aren't unheard of, but they're rare," Robin said. "We've come to work with them, not against them. In return, they render us pleasing services."

"This isn't what I thought things were," Kid snarled to the pair standing sheepishly off to the side. "I was expecting to stroll into a city with two people that knew exactly what they were doing! Now it sounds like you two are freaks no one _likes_ \- !"

"Which is why _he_ took pity on you!" Zoro snapped back.

Kid frowned, but since he couldn't come up with a comeback, he shrugged. "I'll take the loss."

"Are we standing out here because no one's decided to let us in?" Luffy asked curiously.

"We're at their mercy, yes," Law answered stiffly.

"We welcome _all_ visitors," Robin interrupted hastily. "It's just that you're weapons of war, and it's cause for caution. War ended centuries ago, but you're quite new to this life after awakening. There are things that require caution, and you have to understand this."

"If there's no war, then why are we _still_ considered weapons?" Kid asked, starting to grow red. "If we're not fighting, then there's no reason for people to be scared of us!"

"This is exactly what I was talking about," Law muttered. "They're not going to want us because of what we are."

Understanding that things were building to an uncomfortable tension, Luffy looked back up at the wall. He was tired of standing around. He slung an arm out, causing those with guns to respond. Seeing them move, Kid pulled their weapons from them, hand out as they reacted with a start. Robin gasped, hands out to issue some calm when Luffy shot up into the air, climbing up the wall with an excited expression. Those that were standing up there reacted hastily with guns raised, Law forming a Room, and switching those men with the ones Kid had just disarmed.

The area was free as startled guards reacted to the switch with surprise, crying out with alarm as Luffy scrambled over the edge to look over. Behind the wall was a flat land of farmlands that stretched well beyond the coastline and extended into a valley between mountain ridges. Large factory properties emitted thick smoke into the air, colored with products, leaving behind a strong stench that overpowered the salty breeze of the nearby ocean and the smoky tang of the wasteland. Long houses stacked in strict rows emitted thin streams of smoke, and people used dirt roads to walk. There were animals present, large and grand, used to pull wagons, provide rides, and work the edges of fields. It looked like some quaint old time village, something he'd seen from period time anime, or settler movies on Netflix.

He looked down to seeing men looking up at him with alarm, calling out to each other as stairways were climbed quickly. There wasn't much for him to use to swing from in this enclosed haven – he would have to jump down and run, but there wasn't many places to hide. Without warning, he saw the scene changing in front of him – those clumsily armed men were hard trained Marines wearing the enemy's uniform. His ears rumbled with the distinct sound of gunfire, heat building up in his face as his body tensed. The timer was running in the back of his thoughts, and he grimaced, hearing the barking shouts of his instructors to attack raging over his emotions.

Before he could do anything, heavy pieces of metal coiled around him, yanking him clear off his feet. He hit the ground with a whoosh of air, thoughts scattering as his head bounced harmlessly off the hard dirt. Kid stood over him with a frown.

"Not. _Yet_ ," he told Luffy, finger being drawn over his neck.

"It was _pretty_ ," Luffy told him breathlessly. "The entire area. Like something from a cartoon. It's _big_! Everyone was walking around, like they do in Mos Eisly."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, get up. Apparently, we're still negotiating here," Kid said, hauling him to his feet but not releasing him from the coils of weaponry he had wrapped around Luffy. Surprised to see unusually crafted weaponry around him, Luffy was distracted from the sight of Robin struggling to put a calm face on.

"We just wanna live free," Kid told her, towering over her intimidatingly. "Like she said, _with some guidance_. If you ain't gonna let us do that, it'll be…fucked up."

Sanji shoved himself between them, forcing the man to take some space from the woman. "You ain't helping things like this!"

At the sound of the gates opening, the sound of more posted guards at the top of the wall, Law looked up. He grew agitated at seeing how the scene was drawing out. He'd expected things to happen in this sense, but it still felt so unfair. They weren't even being granted a chance. Fear and apprehension had already caused so much disturbance between them and the colony's guardsmen, and there was no way they'd be allowed in at this point.

"Halt! _Halt_!" came a man's voice, attention drawn to the gates. A man with a stiffly shaped purple hairstyle hurried out from the gates, hands raised. Behind him were several men with their hands up, indicating that though they were armed, they weren't holding onto them. Immediately, the guards posted in various locations lowered their weapons, and Robin gave a relieved sound upon seeing him. "What's going on out here?"

"Ah! _Hey_!" Luffy greeted, hopping in place so he would be seen. "We were arguing with them about wanting to go inside! We're new, here!"

"I see that," the man commented, looking all of them over with interest. "Your clothes are all out of this world. Robin told me a little about what was happening, but I lost interest halfway through. Sorry. Zoro! Sanji! You're still here! Are you the ones to have found this interesting blast from the past?"

"Yes," they answered in unison.

"Ah. Well done! What a find! Actual _human beings_! My name's Iceburg," he introduced himself, reaching out to shake the four's hands. He winced as Kid squeezed too hard. Dressed in a dark bodysuit that looked more like something that belonged to outer space, Iceburg made Kid wrinkle his brow with disdain, Perona looking up at the man with awe.

"What a pretty color!" she said, reaching up to wipe Iceburg's lips with her thumb, smearing color over his mouth. "So _pigmented_! Is this MAC? Lip Tar? Do you have more?"

"Ah, all these questions to which I have no answers!" Iceburg said, chuckling. "An alien language so unlike ours! Listen, I heard there's some sort of disturbance over here that prompted my immediate attention! What's going on, Robin? Fill me in."

" _You're_ the leader of this colony?" Law questioned with disbelief. "You're an utter airhead…"

"Ha ha! I get that a lot! I'm not sure if that's a compliment or an insult," Iceburg then whispered to Robin before straightening up with a clearing of his throat. "Listen, for what it's worth, my people are antsy. They're nervous, we don't know who comes up to our gates with a past like yours, and you'll have to excuse them. They mean no harm. So, what's going on, here? You want in?"

" _Yeah_!" Kid uttered. "That's our whole deal!"

"Great! Well, come in! We'll give you a tour of the place!"

" _Just like that_?" some of the guardsmen exclaimed with disbelief, Iceburg looking back at them with surprise.

"Well, yeah," he answered with a puzzled tone. "There's nothing wrong with them – they're healthy, and none of them look sickly. No signs of the plague – wait. Are any of you with any animal characteristics like them? We should know those things…"

"No," Perona said, happily striding ahead, Luffy following after her with a gleeful expression, still wrapped in metal.

"The full moon is coming, isn't it?" Iceburg asked the pair, who nodded. "Then, after introducing your new friends to the colony, you may leave. Just get them settled in first."

" _Why_?" Law asked Sanji in a near demand, already bothered at the idea of not seeing him.

Sanji gave him an impatient look before looking at Zoro. Zoro reluctantly looked to him, scratching an ear. "Just a few hours, then," he mumbled. "If it ain't that much trouble."

"Why do you have to leave? What, do you two shift into werewolves and vampires, or something?" Kid demanded.

Iceburg interrupted by leaning in between the set, saying, "We're starting our tour, now. Over here are the north gates! Aren't they lovely? Built to withstand any weapon imaginable! RPGs, rockets, grenades, that sort of thing…no superhuman has been able to bust them down, either. They're wide enough to allow us to pull in anything we build outside to bring in! Which includes farming equipment, building pieces to remanufacture – that sort of thing."

They were given a grand tour of the colony, and were treated to bewildered looks from the colonists inside. This revealed world diverted attention from the pair trailing behind them as the four took in the sights of colonists that were small, thin, hard-working. All of them wore plain clothes that looked like something from out of history pages – gone were the sight of bright prints, individual style, expensive shoes. The streets were fashioned out of dirt and decorated with carefully tended plants native to the area. Sewage canals caused disgust by those used to indoor plumbing, Iceburg laughing at their expressions as foot bridges were used to cross over them. The farmlands left them horrified as they were told meat was a rarity.

"Animals don't like to be hunted," Iceburg told them when Luffy whined for a cheeseburger. "So they hunt _us_ , instead. The fire gave us plenty to try from, but most of us here are more partial to fruits, vegetables, potatoes! Ah, potatoes! We're simple, but we're good! We're rich beyond our means with changing seasons and changing crops! Aren't you guys tired of carrying all that weight?"

"I can't believe I'm being considered _fat_ right now," Kid muttered in disbelief.

As Iceburg continued out, arms wide to indicate the change of meals by season, Law heard a slight disturbance behind them. He turned to see kids throwing rotting vegetables at the pair that only took the treatment in silence. Names were being uttered, but he didn't understand the meaning of them, and it made him angry to see. One of the larger kids ran about, roaring like a monster, fingers up as he pretended to bite on his friends. The pair of them kept elbowing each other, muttering things that went unheard over Iceburg's jolly shouts and that of the kids'. But when he caught wind of it, the man turned and hurriedly passed the four to scatter the bunch with a light scolding leaving his colored lips.

Then he continued the tour without saying anything else, gesturing at the machines that were working the fields.

" _Why_ are you being treated this way?" Law demanded of the pair once they caught up.

"It ain't a big deal," Zoro muttered. "But we made a mess of ourselves. So it's easier to just go away."

"Ain't no harm in it," Sanji added. "Just for a few days."

"Part of their animal characteristics caused some discord amongst the colonists," Robin interrupted gently, drawing Law's attention from them. "To continue living here peacefully, they leave before a full moon and return days later to continue working for me. Unfortunately, there aren't many accepting of their abilities and tend to treat them harshly because of it."

"So this will happen to us, as well? Once these people realize what we are?" Law demanded.

"It's up to you how you want to be treated," Robin said. "So I expect you all to be on your best behavior."

"Or else _what_?"

She shrugged, continuing on with the others. Frowning after her, Law then said, "If you're part wolf, then it goes to say you turn into a werewolf, right?"

"We was kids when we came," Sanji said reluctantly. "And the first time it happen, ain't nobody forget."

"Yeah, we got used to it," Zoro said with a frown.

"How is this ' _good'_?" Law demanded of Sanji. "This isn't 'good'!"

"It takes time," Sanji insisted. "But it ain't always like this…"

Zoro nudged Sanji. "Looks like they be fine. We should go."

"I'll walk out with you guys, come back later," Ussop said with a sigh, adjusting his rifle back into place.

"I don't want you to go," Law told Sanji firmly, reaching out and grabbing his arm.

"You a guest, now, act like it," Sanji told him, jerking his arm out of his grasp. "Ain't your place to make demands."

"Hey, where are you guys going?" Luffy asked, taking notice of the confrontation, wandering back.

"You're leaving us?" Perona asked with a start. "Are you going back out there?"

"Going to do were-animal shit," Kid uttered with appreciation. "That sounds _hella_ cool."

"It's not!" Zoro snapped at him.

Aghast that his compliment was rejected, Kid growled, "I take it back!"

"This is an important time for them," Iceburg said, sidling up to them and delicately placing himself between them. He motioned for the pair to get moving, Ussop giving a wave over his shoulder as they headed back towards the gates. "It's _fine_. They'll return in a few days! Now, come over here, I want to show you the best part of this colony – the fashion district!"

"So they're being cast out for some flaws?" Law asked, Kid shooting him a warning look, Perona scowling up at him. "When our flaws come to light, will that happen to us?"

"What sort of flaws do you have?" Iceburg asked curiously. "Do you change into creatures without reason and start attacking the general populace? Those kinds?"

"Damn, that still sounds cool," Kid muttered.

"How can such a small fox be considered dangerous?" Perona asked, bewildered.

"If only we knew his true origins to really understand his condition," Robin answered her. "They only came to us as children, and either don't know much of their past or refuse it. Traumatic events are easily forgotten at that age. But it is thought that he was altered to become one – he isn't natural like Zoro's."

"So, Zoro _isn't_ cute when he transforms? _Blah_."

"What are you guys _talking_ about?" Luffy asked with a clueless expression.

"It's either the outside for them, or get killed in self-defense. Me, I'm all for them, they're good kids," Iceburg added. "But it's a populace against one. It makes sense to separate them from us for a few days than endure loss of life for most."

"If it's only that, then develop some inhibitors to help them," Kid said with a frown. "That's easy to do! Look at their genetic information and create a block that…can…"

He trailed off, seeing the blank looks he was being served with. In response, he slapped Law in the back, prodding him to speak. Wincing at the force that would definitely leave a mark, Law asked, "Don't you people have a biology department to aid with disease control and – "

"We _never_ get sick!" Iceburg declared, hands on his hips. "Disease is controlled if it is absent!"

" _Stupid_ ," Law told him with a condescending look, Iceburg looking at him with shock.

"Aside from an allergy or common cold, the colonists here are very healthy," Robin assured them. She paused for a moment, adding, "We're without dentists, as well. Our teeth are in fine shape. The most common cause of death are natural causes or a farming accident."

The four of them scoffed, unable to imagine such a world without the ailments most common in theirs.

"You're going to learn that we're more different than you could ever imagine," Robin said. "When you're settled in, come to the library. I have nearly as much information leading up to the bombing to now to fill in some blanks."

Iceburg then carried on with the tour, Law pausing to look up the road to see the trio moving further away. He felt a strange sort of apprehension in Sanji leaving – he'd just met the other man, but he felt incredibly anxious with his lack of knowledge regarding him. Seeing them being mistreated by the others made him think of his own situation with the Marines; maybe that was why Sanji tried to do right for them. They were similar.

Kid caught his attention by appearing much too close to him, peering at him suspiciously. In reaction Law kneed him in the gut, Luffy crying out with laughter as Kid keeled over with a whoosh of air. Giving him a disgusted look, Law turned away from them, Perona marching up to his side to demand questions of Robin's outfit.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I was listening to "Null Moon", "The One Truth," "Blood Red", and "Disturbed Image", by Akira Yamaoka, and "I Can't Take It Anymore" by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.**

 **RR: Ah, I know DX I'm pretty sure I'm running out of ideas b/c I'm recycling some, but hopefully a change of scenery each time is a good distraction XD Ha ha! Yes! One of the other subjects I normally don't bother with, but as a writer, it's good to challenge one's self! And the four grew up fighting individually and with each other, so it's natural to react appropriately as a group for them. Two of them get their chance to show off even further here.**

 **Naghi-Tan: haha! 'Suitors' will be revealed as the fic progresses; I can't make it easy for these guys. I lose interest if I do XD**

 **Penumbra: It's all good! I'm just impressed that y'all can read my fic when it's not your first language! And I use the translator, too, so feel free to leave a message for me to translate :D It's reversed here, but with a slight twist – you'll see soon in this chapter! And you're right to feel that way about the colony; the more the four stay, the more they see that will battle with their own set of beliefs D:**

 **Cheers: It's all good! He's a worrywart and a pessimist that questions everything, but the other three are there to ignore it and carry on. Sanji might be soft, but his heart is in the right place(?) You'll see in this chapter for yourself what the full moon means! I always write Kid that way DX I need more of him in canon to really see what he's like! Doesn't seem like he's a coward or shy about expressing himself; likes challenges and the chance to show off. I like writing him!**

 **Sarge1130: More will be revealed as they search for the answers themselves, now that they're in a place to do so. And you'll see who else has abilities once you get here! ;D**

 **: : Seven**

"It's been a few whole days of freedom, and I'm not sure if I'm feeling so free," Kid muttered bitterly from his side of the room, examining the material of his shirt with a critical eye. Seated at the edge of his bed, he was trying to decide how best to modify his clothes for his own comfort. He felt suffocated in collared shirts and neat trousers, so Perona had promised to sew him something 'metal' for some flair. The woman had been busy altering her own clothing, and didn't mind doing the same for them; for selfish reasons, of course. "Not because of all the rules, but because there is absolutely shit to do around here. They want us to use our powers so they can benefit from it? That ain't happening…"

He looked up once he realized he wasn't getting an answer, seeing Law staring out of the window, a deep frown on his face. The night sky shimmered with too many brilliant speckles of light, and while seeing falling stars had been amazing at first, it had grown old for Kid. He just wasn't that interested in the night sky, or the fact that everyone closed themselves into huts for the night to escape being attacked by night birds.

'Mostly owls,' Robin had said cheerfully. 'Their talons are capable of ripping a man's head free from his shoulders in just moments!'

"Am I talking to myself, again?" Kid asked, glaring at the other man.

Law had always been quiet, but he contributed his opinion here and there. Mostly negative reasons; as interesting as this world was compared to what they had known of theirs from Netflix and the like, it just did not hold the same sort of power as they'd hoped. It felt like they had slipped through time to return to settler ages, and Iceburg had asked that they contribute their way of life here at the colony by using their abilities to assist. Something none of them wanted to do. They were engineered to fight, win battles – not gather plants for breakfast, or haul scrap to recycling or transport equipment from here to there. Perona was the only one of them that escaped these things, for her abilities only required the dead. She spent most of her time mending clothing for herself.

None of this was something Kid wanted – he yearned for excitement and adventure, freedom to take him places to see what was out there. Not to be confined in once place and following another's rules yet again. Slowly, like the tide retreating the beach, his restlessness began to grow.

The four of them were crammed into a hut that consisted of two basic rooms – a living/dining/kitchen with a massive bedroom that allowed for privacy screens and individual closets. Too used to each other's company, they hadn't minded the apologies that came with Perona having to share with them.

'Like I never saw their dicks, before,' she'd said with a scowl. Holding her thumb and index finger together, she sneered.

Perona and Luffy had left the room some time ago, needing certain supplies before curfew officially began. The silence they left behind was startlingly pleasant.

Scowling when he realized Law wasn't going to answer him, he looked back at his shirt. He decided to rip the arms off and did so carefully to preserve the armholes. Holding it up after, he approved of it with a nod.

"Why are we being told to be as afraid as they are?" he heard Law ask. "To fear the dark?"

"Because they got big freaking things roaming around out there! Were you with us?" Kid asked sarcastically.

"It's become clear that superhumans are a rarity, here," Law mumbled. "The ones we were introduced to show no backbone in their abilities in the least."

Kid looked at him cautiously, unsure of where the other was going with this.

Law stood up, brushing off his pants. He was wearing black 'stovepipes' with a cotton tunic that had leather inserts over the shoulder, loose buckles along the zipper in front. Perona had insisted that all four of them adapt to her steampunk style, and the only way she could convince them to follow along with her was to make their clothing herself. It was easy for her to seek out the material, and while Kid and Luffy put up a resistance to the outlandish outfits she wanted them to wear, Law put his on without complaint.

Irritated the hell out of Kid because it actually looked a little cool. He looked at his companion with a scowl as he watched him pull on a long trenchcoat that looped to close at the shoulder, then looked back at the shirt he had been altering himself. He tossed it aside with disgust, then looked up when he heard Law opening the front door. He hastily followed after him. "Where you going?"

"To find Ussop."

" _Why_?" Kid asked, truly bewildered.

Law looked at him with a bored frown. "Don't you want to see a werewolf for yourself?"

Kid lit up instantly. He practically ran for the coat that shielded his shirtless form against the freezing night air, and hurried after him, grateful for the fur lining inside. They ignored the surprised warnings of incoming curfew from armed guards wearing wool capes, and took their time finding Ussop's hut. They walked in without warning, startling the man into spitting out the hot cocoa he'd just warmed for himself, already tucked into a comfortably packed bed of blankets to thwart the cold.

"We want to see cool shit," Kid told him sternly. "Get up."

" _What_?" Ussop sputtered, pulling the blankets up to hide his nightgown. Compared to these tall, enormous men standing at the doorway, dressed in bizarre black clothing that looked like something taken from a villain in some fantasy story, he felt like an underdressed child. "It's _nighttime_!"

"So? We want to see werepeople."

"You don't wanna see that," Ussop said cautiously, face scrunching up. "They wouldn't want you seeing them like that, either. It's complete full moon! At their peak, it…would be very bad. They wouldn't even recognize you!"

"Even better," Kid decided, grinning.

"I can't do that," Ussop said, setting aside his cup. "Besides, it's curfew! No one can get outside those gates!"

Kid hit Law's chest with the back of his head, making him wince. Knowing what the gesture indicated, Ussop paled.

"The nighttime predators are out there!" he insisted. "They'll eat us whole!"

"They're still _animals_ ," Law pointed out.

"We have _no_ problem hurting humans, why should we feel bad hurting animals?" Kid asked.

Ussop scrunched blankets up in his hand with anxiety, feeling intimidated. "I _can't_ ," he said softly. "They're my friends. This is a bad time for them."

"So you're gonna force me to make you?" Kid asked dangerously. Ussop's eyes widened with fright as he looked up at him, watching the way his fingers curled into fists. Because both of them were so unrelenting, he gave a groan and tossed his blankets aside to reach for his clothes.

An hour later, they were walking through abandoned streets lit only by the moonlight coming from above. Everything around them were dark shapes that gave nothing away – sounds fluttered overhead as the whisper of wings took flight, and snuffling sounds of something large occasionally drew their startled attention when it came too close to them. Some shapes took on familiar forms – a lone dog that bared its teeth and barked at them sharply before leaving with its tail tucked between its legs. A cat that hissed before climbing up the remains of a building, hurrying away with its ears lowered.

Ussop wiped nervous sweat from his forehead as an intimidating form of a wolf separated itself from an abandoned truck skeleton covered in moss and vines, baring its teeth silently at them before trotting off towards the shadows.

"I was expecting, you know, attacks from everywhere," Kid whispered, watching his breath escape as he did so.

"They're hiding from Zoro," Ussop whispered back. "This entire side of the city is his territory during this time."

" _Badass_ ," Kid hissed.

Ussop wasn't sure what he meant by that, but since Kid's tone was full of awe, he decided it was a compliment of some type. He shook his head, fearfully clutching himself as he took a narrow alleyway up between two building ghosts – only indicative of beams that stood straight up towards the night sky, forgotten ropes of wire and rotting pieces of wood dangling from treacherous joists.

"Where's Sanji?" Law asked, not bothering lowering his voice, the other two shushing him hastily.

"Somewhere inside of Zoro's territory. Please leave him alone," Ussop added tentatively, glancing at him.

"If Zoro is the most feared predator in this area during certain times of the month, then it's your mission to see how strong you are, Eustass," Law said, still talking normally. Ussop tried to shush him, but Law only pushed his head to the side while Kid looked at him with dismay. "Isn't that what we were taught?"

"Well, attack where it hurts, _yeah_ , but…what's the deal?" Kid asked skeptically, his voice still at whisper volume. " _Why_?"

"It's way more interesting than rearranging farm equipment," Law said, glancing off to the side once he saw movement. He switched stride to follow, the sound of something crumbling and crashing to the ground causing the other two to whip around, looking in that direction. By the time they looked back, he was gone. Ussop tentatively took a couple steps back, shivering violently before he then raced back in the direction they'd come.

Kid gaped after him, stunned that he was left to fend for his own. Then Law's words came back to him, so he exhaled shakily. The man was right – it would be interesting to see how he matched up to a fearsome predator than working in some field for food he absolutely despised. He told himself that everyone was reacting too dramatically; they were afraid of mere dogs, birds that twisted their heads to _hoot_. Meanwhile, he was formed for battle on some war ravaged setting.

 _He_ should be the one men feared!

Confidence rising, he ventured towards the sounds, trying to ignore his racing feelings of nervousness. By the time he'd crossed several streets, there was dust still lingering in the air from where a building had finished collapsing. He couldn't tell how it had – just that it was in rubble in front of him. A mess of debris and vines that looked like snakes in the night. The dust made him sneeze, covering his nose and mouth to do so in automatic reaction. The sound was much too loud, and it made him look up cautiously, peering through the moon lit streets for any sound out of place, any movement that should make him alert. He thought he heard a low exhale, but he caught sight of a shape taking flight into the night sky, wingspan bigger than any bird he'd ever seen, before. It uttered a sharp screech as it started to gain height. Watching it climb, Kid had to compare the size to that of a small plane than an actual bird – Robin's warning suddenly made sense, considering it was the first he saw these nighttime animals.

He made to turn when a massive humanoid shape leapt up from the darkness and brought the bird down, the shrill scream of death ringing out onto the emptiness around him. An abrupt silence right afterward made Kid shiver before he caught himself.

"I'm not a fucking wimp," he told himself. "Fucking _stupid_ to be scared of some dude playing in a wolf costume. I'm a _man_. A real tough one, too. They had to use all _kinds_ of tranquilizers to take me down! Hah. Like I'd be scared of some hick that can't even make good insults!"

Striding in that direction with a determined expression, Kid hollered out, "Yo, Zoro! That you, bro? Dude, come out here. Let's see you. Heard you were real _scary_! Hah!"

 _Dumbass is_ way _shorter than I am_ , he thought, carefully climbing over a mound of rock that skittered down onto the street noisily. The mound rose to form a slight hill he had to examine, finding steel beams nearby, a faded sign with the letters long gone. The moon light gave him nothing to identify what the building could have been back in times when it mattered. He looked up when he heard metal creak, as if a vehicle were rocking on its tires, the sound dying as quickly as it sounded. He froze in mid-step, squinting around himself. He was disgusted in that he hadn't brought a flashlight of any kind, but the moon provided just enough to see his path ahead and behind him, and made it easy to avoid any obstacle.

He exhaled evenly before making his way down the hill, rocks skittering ahead of him. Once he was on solid ground, he took a curving street with fallen streetlights around it, a former roundabout in what could have been a residential district. As he reached a sprawling section of forested emptiness, the sight of a playground wilting to the ground with faded colors and fallen sections in sight, he heard another hard exhale. It came from somewhere to his left, and the accompanying sound of nails on asphalt made him stop short.

Those were much bigger than the dogs or wolves they'd encountered so far. Something metal creaked again, glass crunching under immense weight.

He realized he was being stalked.

The thought made him grin wide, shaking out his shoulders and arms in anticipation.

He was not the weakling that Zoro had found that day; he was at full strength now after decent – but tortuously boring meals – and as a result it reflected on his abilities. He would not falter after a couple of minutes handling a light weight, or some fast action.

: :

The man was going somewhere, Law realized. The shape of the other human was moving stealthily through the streets, heading directly in the eastern direction. Because of the bigger presence in the territory, he seemed fearless as he took streets openly and clutched a rifle at his side. Maybe this was a hunting game – the way the people spoke of the pair in the fields told Law that their animal characteristics were troublesome things for them. Spoken openly with derision and annoyance, launching into whispered gossip that he couldn't catch. The pair had come into the colony as children who found each other in the wastelands and had accidently wandered in through the gates. Neither of them would say from where, but it was understood from his scars that Zoro was a former slave and Sanji a human who had been an animal for too long. Neither of them stayed in school for very long, and neither of them fit in with the rest of them until Robin took them under her wing.

Which possibly explained their horrible speech patterns. He couldn't quite get over that flaw.

'I'm sure an inhibitor that you've spoken of would be something greatly appreciated,' Robin had said cheerily. 'But it would only apply to these times. Otherwise, their transformations are pure will. It is the only time when instinct is too strong for them to ignore.'

He watched and pushed himself up against a shadowy doorway when the man suddenly whirled around to look behind him, rifle raised. Law was positive he wasn't seen as the man's head swung from side to side, looking for whatever it was that upset him. A slight clatter of sound caused them both to look to the left, spying another shape moving hastily through the street, sticking to the shadows. A low whistle left the first, an answering second giving the man some pause to relax before continuing on.

Law was led to a building half fallen onto its side, where debris allowed the man to climb with confidence up to the third floor. He was out of his sight by then, and Law would have to be careful not to be seen crossing the street and exposing himself to the moonlight. He wasn't sure how many people would be posted up there if there were other hunters about. He waited for some time, listening to the silence around them before a clattering sound made him look up, watching a shadow hastily retreat down the pile of debris before hurrying off at a light jog across the street. He was pretty sure it was the same man he'd been following, and made to continue following when he caught sight of the barest flicker of light coming from the building. It made him think of a match flaring to life, so he waited for the man to disappear out of sight before teleporting right up to the point he'd seen him stand before bending to enter the building. The darkness of the room was immediate, interrupting his vision briefly before he heard the sounds of movement coming from a nearby hallway. With the building lying on its side as it was, it was disorientating to find himself walking on what was left of a rail, brushing aside dead electrical wires and spiderwebs. He came upon a room he had to look down into, seeing the faint light of a flashlight propped up against some blanketing materials. Because of the room's position against the street, windows missing and walls sunken in, it provided a sort of cozy nest that felt warm without need for any fire.

There was a rope dangling down to the bottom, attached to something beyond his sight. But it was sturdy and strong – he didn't need it. He caught sight of a hunched form in the far corner of the room, the smell of tobacco assuring him that his goal had been attained. He hopped down to the 'floor' – the former wall cracked and broken in various places, but firm under his foot.

At the sound of his approach, Sanji exhaled smoke before turning to look over his shoulder at the other man. Law was a little puzzled by the disheveled appearance that left him only with an open shirt that revealed everything to him, but even more so by the drunken expression that caused the blond's features to brighten. He moved restlessly, sitting on his hands and knees before sitting back on his heels to stand clumsily. His complete behavior was a sharp contrast to the one Law had gotten used to when they first met, and he didn't understand why Sanji was looking at him in that way, smoking with long drags of his cigarette and stumbling about in just an opened shirt, the sleeves rolled up.

Despite his puzzled reaction, Law couldn't help but look at everything – taking in the sight of long, lithe legs with sharply contrasting colors caused by outside tanning – a slender upper body spotted with some freckles where the sun hit the most. Everything about him was sharply defined and charming – from the way his ribcage expanded with every breath, to the way his collarbone stood out with the movements of his shoulders. The ridges of his hips as they flexed with each step, the way thigh muscles bunched and curled as long toed feet found support on the floor. The pale colored member that swelled as he grew closer to him.

Stunned by his appearance and manner, Law's mind went blank as Sanji approached him, looking him over with a drunken stare. His hands went out to Law's chest and shoulders as he walked around him, looking over his body with a hum of approval. It made his cheeks and ears redden, heating as Sanji's hands dropped to run over his waist and backside, making him jump. Without falter, Sanji was pressed right up against him; Law could feel his heart racing wildly against the man's chest, the cigarette spit aside before Sanji suddenly climbed onto him, wrapping his legs around him with a whimper. He reached between them to adjust his dick flat up against Law's body, moving against him restlessly.

With ash tinged breath that smelled foul and thick, Sanji pressed his nose up against his neck to inhale deeply, hands reaching around Law's neck to curl tightly there. Once he realized that the man was rubbing himself against him, Law jerked backward, stumbling over the floor in an attempt to put space between them. Sanji laughed merrily, hands in Law's hair to clutch tightly as his legs squeezed his waist.

"You _found_ me!" he said giddily before emitting a sharp whine, desperately trying to get some friction. "How bouta reward for your troubles?"

Law sputtered, red-faced, unsure of where to run to get space from this perverted fiend. At the same time, he was so enthralled by Sanji's behavior that he froze, mind blanking out on rational thought.

He managed to untangle Sanji's hands from his hair and shove him off of him, the blond falling flat on his back. Law thought he'd hurt him, but Sanji only laughed drunkenly, turning onto his side. Taking a few steps back from him, Law's bewildered feelings warred with disappointment – he had been expecting a were-person of some type, so to not see it in Sanji made him feel awkward. Undeterred by his action, Sanji rose up on his hands and knees, sinking his upper body low to the ground so that his backside was up, exposed. In that position, he reached down to grab his own dick, stroking desperately with accompanying whining noises. Law looked away with surprise, covering his mouth as Sanji said, "It itches…can you scratch it?"

This was something he was sure he'd seen on some nature video – this man's behavior was so similar to that of an animal in heat, noisy and desperate for contact, and it filled Law with mortification because it was his first time experiencing an invitation of any type. He made to get more space between them while he tried to figure this situation out when Sanji was on his feet and on his legs, holding onto one with a light sigh, running his hands up and down his thigh.

"Or I can itch you," he said, his tone mildly manic. In the faint light Law could see the wide size of his pupils, almost as if he were on some type of drug. Utterly confused, he teleported away from him to stand just outside the doorway, feeling as if his lungs were being constricted. Sanji looked around himself with surprise, but he seemed to immediately forget about what he had been doing. He sat there for some time, mumbling and whining to himself as his body swayed from one side to the other.

Hearing the sound of someone coming up the rubble, Law quickly took cover behind the corner of the hall. He struggled to get his thoughts in order. With some horror, he wondered if Zoro was in the same mood. Would Kid run into the same type of situation?

: :

Battle field arranged to his satisfaction, Kid stood within the center of it. The sound of settling metal was music to his ears as he looked around himself, waiting to see any sign of the wolf person that was watching him. He could feel the weight of the man's stare – occasionally hear a snuffle, or a sharp growl that was cut up abruptly in favor of some movement. The sound of weight being distributed moved all around him – he was being circled. Focused on the movement, Kid didn't think of anything else; he had to be patient, and on the battlefield, he was at his best. Out here, nothing else mattered – he just needed to _win_. In the back of his thoughts,as a running memory, he could hear the timer clicking away, and heard the soft murmurs of those watching him. The faint roar of white noise started to crowd around those sounds as his focus sharpened. His skin tingled as he stretched his sensory perception away from him, hearing honed to catch the sound of movement along metal. Once he felt the touch of weight pushing down on a long, narrow beam that had once held aloft a billboard, he punched an arm out. Metal lifted upward, pushing the single form atop of it into the dark sky. A single yowl rang out as the animal revealed itself as a type of large cat, twisting in the air to catch itself on the drop down.

Still emerging himself within the strength of his perception, Kid waited to feel the telltale weight of that other creature venturing close to him.

He heard the sharp inhale, all his senses ringing out in alarm at that moment. He reacted quickly because he knew the attack was coming, asphalt bursting upward in a spray of force as he yanked long depleted water pipes from the underground, positioning them in front of him.

The creature was at least nine feet tall – covered in darkly spotted fur, with alarmingly large talons. It stood on its hind feet, which were scarred with old injuries, fur missing in long stretches. Its eyes glowed green, narrowed into slits as it revealed sharp teeth, spotted tongue stretched out in a hollow scream that made Kid's blood warm with anticipation. Thick white whiskers stretched out around its black nose, blackened gums exposed briefly before it yanked backward from the metal pipes. A heavily furred tail swung after it, revealing a back as scarred as its body.

" _There_ you are," Kid whispered with wide-eyed awe, the creature's shoulders hunching against a thickly furred neck. Fierce barking filled the streets, a scratchy sound that made his ears rattle. It swept aside the pipes with one meaty arm before darting towards him. Kid sprang away, drawing up the remains of a city work truck to slam it into the creature's ribs. It stumbled, shoved aside the vehicle and leapt at him in seconds. Kid evaded those claws, able to catch sight of the paw pads of its palms and fingers before making his escape to a safe distance away. He jerked up the steel beams he'd gathered and forced them to fly, the massive creature jumping over those before grabbing one from mid-air.

It didn't seem right for it to clutch it tightly, swinging it soundly to knock aside the pipes Kid had drawn up from the ground. It then tossed the beam at Kid as if it were a stick, Kid catching it mid air to throw back. The werewolf jumped aside then darted at him, Kid hastily drawing a rusted car in front of him to catch the brunt of the force while jumping out of the way. the creature slammed hard into the vehicle, roared with outrage as it settled back onto the pavement, looking back at him. Its speed level was fast and powerful, and Kid barely managed to draw back another set of beams to use as a barrier between them, pushing the pair up across its chest and hips, feeling the strength of the creature push against it in a mad rush to claw at him.

Giving up, it hastily crawled over the beams, Kid yanking backward with a startled yell as he dove to the pavement, the beams catching the monster in the back, assisting in its action to fly through the air. Beams and monster hit the pavement in a noisy tumble, Kid climbing back to his feet. Using the pile he'd had stacked near him, he quickly built a cage around himself, forcing the beams into the asphalt and bending around his head. Feeling safe, he watched Zoro pick himself up and then slam against the cage, roaring with displeasure. The strength of his efforts caused the beams to protest noisily, asphalt cracking around him. Kid grinned up at him with immense pleasure.

"You are a strong dude!" he crowed. "Look at you! All beastly and shit…no wonder people are afraid of you!"

Roaring with growing rage, Zoro clawed at the beams, digging at the asphalt. When he couldn't get to Kid, he snarled, spittle flying before he backed away, suddenly leaping behind a fallen building. An irritated howl rose up moments later, Kid frowning with disappointment. Scanning the area around him, he wondered if the creature had given up on him. To any other person, the encounter would have been a quick one. It was fast, strong, and able to think rationally – but it seemed to have a short attention span.

Frustrated, he waited for a few moments, turning in his cage, looking for another sign of the monster. He didn't feel anything moving around him, and the area had gone deathly silent, as if the whole world was waiting to see what would happen next. He started to remove one of the beams to step out when a rumble underneath him caused him alarm. This time, he scrambled out from the cage as asphalt burst around him, debris flying. He whipped an arm out to quickly replace the beam he'd moved, but Zoro wiggled half of his body through, Kid giving up in an instant to get space between them. The beams all fell without his control, and the werewolf scrambled after him on all fours. With a grunt of effort, Kid yanked up a joist piece, slamming it into the creature's mid section as he made to leap at him. Zoro exhaled noisily before ducking underneath it, Kid then yanking the piece towards him with a startled noise as claws inched towards him. The piece slammed off the back of Zoro's skull with a loud sound, but it gave Kid a chance to escape.

With a loud shout, Kid then lifted the piece he'd saved for last – a crushed dump truck that had been parked within an intersection, material and dust lifting away from it as it sailed through the air and slammed down hard atop of Zoro's furry back. The creature yelped as Kid continued pushing the weight of the truck down on him, asphalt cracking noisily as pressure forced it to give. When both of them disappeared down through the road, Kid listened to the sound of collapsing, watching as the street opened up violently in response. The entire area began to sag, the remains of the buildings around them creaking ominously in the night.

: :

Hearing all the loud noises coming from outside, Law hurried down the hall to find a way to look outside. He pulled himself out from a broken window just in time to see buildings falling in the distance, filling the night sky with dust. He'd heard chilling howls earlier, thinking that Kid was successful in drawing out the other man, but he didn't have any concern for the man's actions. He just wanted to know if he were in any other type of danger.

Seeing that the danger was far enough away for him to feel secure, he retreated back into the building just in time to see the newest visitor flee hastily, spooked by the noises. What bothered him was seeing him hurriedly fixing his pants before he left through the entrance point, so he stalked back to the room, seeing that Sanji was sitting in a dejected pose, emitting morose noises.

The blond then stood up, wandering back to the corner of the room, rummaging for something inside of a familiar backpack. He plucked out some type of container and began pulling out various items, wiggling with discomfort on the floor. He then abandoned his efforts to eat, whimpering as he crawled on the floor on all fours, face tilted up and nostrils working as he sniffed at something in the air.

A loud barking cut through the air, Sanji pausing in mid action to holler out an "Okay! _Okay_!" before resettling into a seated position. Not even a few moments later he whimpered again, quieter this time. He ran his hands over his own body, struggling to find satisfying contact with himself. He then gave a shout of frustration before rolling onto his back, spreading his legs wide to reach beyond his balls, stroking himself feverishly. Unsatisfied with that, he rolled over onto his side, clenching and unclenching his hands. He pressed a dirtied hand to his mouth, biting lightly on his palm.

"What's wrong with you?" Law had to ask, startling Sanji into sitting up to look at him joyfully.

Breathing tightly, Sanji struggled to sit still, but his legs moved restlessly underneath him, causing him to shift around in place. " _Hi_!" he called out, as if he hadn't seen him earlier. "C'mere, c'mere! Come down here!"

"Sanji. I was just here."

Sanji inhaled deeply, hastily moving towards the rope, pulling at it with both hands. "I smell you! I can smell you! _Mmm_ , come down here, please!"

"I don't understand this behavior," Law told him, feeling discomfort build up in him as Sanji stood, hanging onto the rope without attempting to climb it. "Is this…some sort of heat?"

"It's warm down here," Sanji said encouragingly, nodding as he pressed his head against the rope. "So warm! Come, let me show you!"

"Is Zoro the same way?"

"Mmmm!" Sanji smacked his lips, humming sounds of approval before he sat down again, hunching over himself. "Come down here…I need you to be here…"

Law thought about the conversation they'd had in the stairway. Sanji had mentioned how Law would want him even without the moon, and it made sense now. All those people who'd gossiped behind cupped hands about the pair made sense – their tones and expressions falling into place once he realized the subject matter. It was no wonder Iceburg encouraged them to leave, and they willingly did so. He felt surprise that there were people who took advantage of this. Who risked a rampaging werewolf just to visit someone that couldn't think straight, who didn't even remember seeing him just minutes ago. How many people took advantage of this state for a few thrills?

He started to feel angry as he silently watched the man draw his hands over his face, smearing sweat and dirt over his heated flesh in an attempt for contact. These past few days he'd thought nothing other than Sanji; wanting his conversation, wanting to look at him, wanting to be close, and now that he was finally looking upon him, the man was a sweaty, hormonal mess that would take anybody that approached him. How many men had been here already?

And this was a man that demanded he try and win his favor? When just anyone would do? Sanji had no right to demand anything when he had every full moon to act out like some desperate slut. It made Law angry that he'd found this man so captivating. Looking upon him now, it was similar to seeing an internet video where someone was under the effect of some drug, and people were watching it only as a show to view, not worth interfering for.

"Please come down here!" Sanji begged reedily, on his hands and knees again. "I can smell you! Don't you want it? I'm here, I'm right here!"

Disgust had Law frowning deeply, lips drawn tight. No wonder the colony's people had no respect for him. Was Zoro the same way?

"This is _gross_ ," he muttered. "You're not who I thought you'd be. You're like a dog in heat."

Breathing tightly, Sanji only stared up at him with desperation, his own hands clawing over his chest and lower belly before propping himself up on the floor, ass out with a light wiggle. While his face was colored with arousal, eyes bright and glassy, he chuckled as he flopped onto his side, stroking himself with both hands. His knees trembled as they pressed against each other, ankles crossing.

" _Keep talking_ ," he begged urgently.

Disgusted, Law turned to walk away from the door, hearing Sanji's muffled whine of dejection follow after him. He stopped at the end of the hall, hearing the man mumble, still whimpering and keening very human noises as he shuffled around the room. In the distance, something massive roared with might, causing birds already nested for the night to take flight.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Law leaned against the corner of the hallway to glare out the broken windows. The cold in the air made his breath visible, and it came in sharp puffs as anger, confusion and disgust warred for dominance inside of him. He was so disappointed – so disappointed and so angry with himself.

Corazon's voice suddenly interrupted his livid thoughts. '…There's nothing out there but pain and selfishness. Anything that you think will be worth it turns out to be a waste of time when it slips through your fingers…'

Wasn't this man always telling him that it wasn't worth it? Bemoaning all his relationship problems to Law in random spurts that made Law dislike him even more?

Corazon had complained he was 'too nice', 'wasn't rich enough', wasn't this, wasn't that – but after experiencing the feelings Law had now, he started to realize that the man was right. No matter what time period it was, his first venture into freedom had given him realization that that clumsy airhead was _right_.

"Jesus," he muttered bitterly. He didn't know what he was expecting to find, but this wasn't one of them. But if this was all there was…

He heard the movement coming up the debris from the window, and watched as an old, bearded man clumsily made his way over the windowsill. He startled at the sight of Law – Law didn't remember seeing this guy during his time in the colony, but the man shot him a friendly smile anyway.

"You in line?" the man asked, catching his breath.

 _So vulgar_ , Law decided, staring at him coldly. But he shook his head, the man nodding at him with 'thanks' before shuffling past him. Law watched him go as his lip curled with utter disgust, feeling his fists clench. When he reached the doorway, the man spoke to a cheery sounding Sanji like the blond was an eager animal that had waited all day for its owner to come home. It made Law's stomach turn with such violence that his throat burned with bile. He covered his mouth to prevent spewing, turning away with absolute revulsion on his features.

He could hear Sanji eagerly encouraging the man to join him, and it happened. As out of shape as he was, the man was down into the room, and he continued to talk to Sanji as if he were some overexcited pet.

Law realized how tense he'd gone, how his ears strained to hear what would happen. For a moment, he saw Sanji in the kitchen trying to feed them with something he had to argue with his friends to share. He saw the man arguing for them to be given a chance to have freedom, to be allowed inside the colony walls. If he interfered, would it be payback for all the kind gestures, or just a form of empathy?

He heard the way Sanji's voice changed, going from wildly enthusiastic to muffled pleading, and he heard the man's satisfied responses. Curiosity drew him back to the doorway in the hall, heart thundering painfully against his chest as his breathing felt tight. He wasn't sure if he wanted to _see_ what was happening, but he wasn't _sure_ what was happening. He'd never been interested in Perona's chick flicks, or Kid's mature content Netflix series, or the occasional porn that Luffy sometimes ended up downloading on his iPad whenever he was playing an online game. He looked down to see the man stuffing his dick into Sanji's mouth, the blond eagerly taking him. Fat fingers smoothed over his dirty blond strands – much like how Law had done just the other night – and he encouraged Sanji with dirty words and noises that made Law sick.

 _All_ of it made him sick. The entire situation was just _disgusting_.

The heat that surged up within him made his teeth grind together. Without warning, his fingers shifted into the gestures need to lift and smash the man into the ceiling above him. He continued to grind and flatten that man until splatter rained down around a confused Sanji, and bones snapped. It happened so fast that no one had a chance to say anything.

When the remains of the man fell to the floor, Sanji took notice of it with a confused expression, sniffing the air with his head tilted in that direction. But he only stood from where he had been crouched and wandered over to the other side of the room, touching himself with desperate gestures before sitting in front of his backpack, looking for his cigarettes.

The moment gone, Law caught himself panting lightly as the blood stopped thundering between his ears. His hands shook as he lowered them, watching Sanji light his cigarette and take a short drag, moving restlessly from a seated position to a standing one and back again.

Law wanted to do the same to him. If this were going to be a constant thorn every month, then what was the point of living? No wonder people spoke and looked at him with such derision! How could he keep this head up, and tell Law that there was 'good in this world'? How could there be when Sanji allowed this to happen to himself every month?

His hands turned to form the gesture he needed to remove this sorry piece of trash from living the rest of his life in this fashion. But his hand trembled as it moved, and his chest hurt with the effort. He was so livid that he could feel his face reddened with effort and his teeth clench, grinding so noisily that Sanji tilted his head to catch sight of him. He immediately spit the cigarette out and greeted him cheerfully, getting up to hurry over to the rope once more to look up at him eagerly.

His bare feet shifted through the splatter caused by the man Law had just crushed, and Sanji barely batted an eye. Looking down at him with revulsion, Law searched for the strength needed to end this pathetic man's life. All he heard was a trembling build of noise without content, a rush of blood that made his whole body respond as if he were ready to begin training in one of the dioramas back at the bunk. A timer that switched to 'on' and began to beep incessantly to start a match.

But that infuriating airhead's voice interrupted that white noise.

'Ah, I'll just try again,' Corazon had said with a shake of his head. 'Got to sort through the toads to find the right frog! She's out there, I just gotta keep trying.'

'Stupid,' Law had muttered.

'I can't give up. The thing that keeps me going is that the right one won't give up, either.'

Law exhaled harshly, finding it heavy effort to do so. He hadn't expected feeling so winded, so maybe he'd held his breath. But he stared down at Sanji as he whimpered up at him, clinging to the rope with wanton action.

This man hadn't given up on him, and he was given every chance to do so.

Empathy or not, Law wasn't sure what he felt. But he lowered his hand anyway.


	8. Chapter 8

**Cheers: Just about out of his mind! No control because he wasn't taught how to D: Until now…Kid and Zoro! XD When those two appear again, it'll definitely cause some questions**

 **RR: There is always a need for wanton Sanji! XD I'm not aiming for a long fic with this one, but there will definitely be lingering questions and feelings after D:**

 **Naghi-Tan: he knows it when his heads clearer, which will cause some angst, but prepare yourself for this chapter b/c it'll hurt. This will be a new directon for me as well XD But I'm sure it'll work! ;D Yes, almost similar to Western Sanji, except this one doesn't have control over himself – that one is a professional 8D**

 **Penumbra: I tried writing this as an animal's heat in mind – it's so uncomfortable watching it happen because of the results! But this is definitely like an animal, uncontrollable noises and actions and when it happens, it's…terrible. That's all I can say D: Law has a weird and violent way of staking claim but this story will contain them as stressfully as I can manage. D:**

 **Sarge1130: he kinda cares, and he kinda doesn't as long as it's comfortable, but unfortunately he's like one of those medieval villains in his. Zoro's condition is better suited than Sanji's because he's a natural – Sanji's isn't. More will be revealed in upcoming chapters regarding them, once they can speak. As for DtD, with my comp out and vital chapters in limbo because of it, I either have to wait for it to be fixed or risk rewriting from the last chapter on a whim. Which will cause me some difficulties because that story was set in stone with how I wanted it to go. I know if I deviate from what I have, it'll be different D:**

 **Snowflake97: The struggle gets even worse before it'll even out! Haha, I'm totally aiming for it! XD Thank you for the compliments!**

 **Guest: Ah…I'm recycling my own ideas! Ugh, that gets me down, and I know it, and yet…I guess it matters how differently I handle it. DX Wifey Stylo Kid is so fun to write; so demanding and strong, yet vulnerable and not afraid to show off his Pinterest ideas for his own wedding XD I miss writing him! Zoro and Sanji's relationship is NOT sexual in any form – not in this fic (even though I like alluding to it in others), but they definitely watch over each other in this one because of their time spent together.**

 **Thanks to all reading this fic! :D**

 **: : Eight**

The sun was starting to light up the sky in the distance when Law heard the sounds of movement outside the window. He looked up from where he had been staring at the doorway while seated at the edge of the hall, listening to the sounds of battle in the distance. He had no idea what Kid was doing, but it didn't sound like either man was going to give. He could smell dust from collapsing structures and the putrid ash of wildfire as the smoke continued to drift their way, aided by a light wind that caused whistling throughout all the empty spaces around them. He watched one form hastily climb through the window, then reach back and help another. He was surprised to see that it was a pair of women – both of them dressed in clothing appropriate for the cold, one of them armed with a sword, another with a bag.

Once they caught sight of him, Law standing in front of the hallway with an expression of shock crossing his features, they paused short and looked back up at him with irritation.

"What the hell are you doing?" the one in front demanded, pushing the smaller behind her. One was tall and dark complexioned, the other fair with long pink hair, but both of them were definitely colonists. No matter how much time he'd spent outside, he still wasn't familiar with anyone other than Iceburg, Robin, and the trio that had brought them back to life.

"You take advantage of this shit, too?" Law asked incredulously.

" _No_!" With a huff, the woman swept her dark hair over her shoulders, pulling up a bag. She looked him over with doubt, clearly uncertain about his clothing and size. "You're not from here, are you? Did you come to spy on our colony?"

Law didn't answer as Sanji called out with surprise upon hearing their voices. He didn't budge as the woman made to push past him, her bag adjusted over her shoulder, so she stopped short to glare at him.

" _Move_ ," she told him firmly, her companion pulling her sword from its sheath against her back, holding it within both hands. It was his first time seeing such a weapon, but the woman holding it had no confidence behind it – her teenage expression spoke volumes. When Law didn't move, the woman shoved at him with both hands, so he took a step back as she barged past him.

He turned to glare after her, watching as she set herself at the edge of the doorway, pulling out various items from the bag while calling out to Sanji in a gentle voice. But she suddenly jerked backward with a startled gasp, things spilling over her lap and onto the floor. She scrambled to her feet, looking rattled as she looked to her companion and then to Law.

"Is this Zoro's work?" she asked Law breathlessly, pale.

"What is it?" the other girl asked.

"A man. _Dead_. It's grotesque – don't look," the woman then mumbled, looking at Law once more. Her expression was full of disgust, looking upon him as if he were a bug she'd like to squash under her boot. "You're here like the rest of them? _Scumbag_."

Surprised to be spoken to in that manner, the woman turning away from him to sit where she had earlier, Law frowned down at her. Sanji continued to call out to them, catching sight of the woman as she greeted him in a friendly manner. She pulled out a couple of containers, opening them to pull out a couple of wrapped bundles. She unwrapped one to toss down to him, speaking encouragingly for Sanji to eat it. Listening to the way she addressed the man, Law realized she wasn't like the others; she was there to check up on him. He glanced back at her companion, the younger woman glaring up at him with her sword held in both hands, ready to move if she had to.

"We come from the colony," Law finally said stiffly. "We're visitors."

"' _We're'_?" the woman shot back hotly, glaring back at him from over her shoulder. "I only see one of you."

"He's out testing Zoro's abilities."

"Oh, that's just so _great_ ," she said sarcastically, breaking apart what looked like some orange slices for Sanji. Even with her gestures, she still called to him with clicks of her tongue, using a baby voice to address him. It ground on Law's nerves to hear a human being address another in that manner. Sanji was out of his sight, but whatever he did pleased the woman to grin down at him, releasing compliments.

"Zoro protects him, and those predators know it! They purposely draw him away so _he's_ unguarded! This is you taking advantage of it as well!" she snapped fiercely at him. "If they were both in their right minds, no one would approach them!"

"I'm not taking advantage of anything," Law snapped back at her.

The woman glared at him, pausing in throwing down pieces of food to Sanji. "Like I'd believe that," she muttered, dark eyebrows lowering. "Only zounderkites take advantage of the full moon to use their heat against them. It's not their fault."

"Zoro's the same way?"

"His is different. But he's not a man in this state."

"And here you are, feeding him before you do anything – "

She set her bag down at her side, rising to her feet in a huff. "No one takes care of them, not even when they were children! The colony shuns them over things they cannot control, hoping they'll die during this time! But it's not going to happen – not with me here."

"Dehydration, starvation, high temperatures, rutting, bastards that purposely injure them – they get away with it, too," she added bitterly. "Neither of them remember anything when it's done. And here you are, a 'guest' of the colony! Distracting Zoro while you take a chance with him?"

"They are members of the colony, right?" Law asked, taking a step towards her, causing her to back up hastily. "They work for Robin, they contribute to your society?"

"Yes! And _get away from me_!" she hissed, withdrawing a large knife from her side, holding it with confidence in one hand while taking on a proper defensive position.

"Back away from her!" the other girl shouted, sword ready to swing.

"And you come here with some 'kind gestures', thinking that it'll make up for the contempt?" Law asked, kicking her bag aside, much to her dismay. "You're just as filthy as the rest of them, _cowardly_ , sneaking over here in a similar manner with false pity. Do you raise a fuss on their behalf in front of them, or from behind?"

"I've always spoken up!" she exclaimed, pushing him with one hand. "BACK UP!"

"I'll kill you if you don't!" the other warned, lunging forward. Her sword swung out, but Law was already out of contact, teleporting away from them, causing them to react with surprise as he appeared close enough to kick one into the other, sending them both sprawling away from the hall. The sword fell out of the girl's hands, so he picked it up with curiosity, examining the weight and make of it. Touching the blade, he compared it to something he'd seen out of the movie 'Gladiator'. Both women scrambled to get up, looking at him with dismay as he tested the weight of it with a swing.

"I want one," he said with interest. "Where did you get this?"

Both of them gaped up at him. "So you can kill us with one of your own?"

"I don't need a weapon to kill," Law told her, holding the sword at arm's length. "It would just look cool."

He then tossed it out the window nearby, kicking aside a container from the woman's bag. "Take your fake shit and get the fuck out of here."

"Are you self-conscious?" she asked on a snide tone. "Some of them just watch, waiting their turn. Don't want to be made fun of for having a small one? Size isn't always proportionate to a man's height."

"Viola!" the younger woman hissed, stunned at the other woman's goading.

"Your mouth is annoying," Law decided, hand lifting. "I was just here, minding my own business and you both come in here attacking me."

"She didn't mean it!" the younger cried, looking to his hand cautiously. She covered the other woman's mouth with both hands when she made to speak. "It's disheartening to find him this way when he's always so nice to us! We only want to help him! If you're here to hurt him, too, you're just as bad as the others!"

"If you want to help him, stop casting them out!"

"The first time it happened, it was one of the most horrible things to have ever happened inside the colony!" Viola spat, shoving her niece away from her. "They remove themselves from the colony to prevent it from ever happening again, and those rantallions follow and still take advantage of it! If you're here to partake in it, you're just as bad as they are!"

Law made to answer her when he realized that it was quiet behind him. He'd gotten used to Sanji's noises coming from the room, so when the silence caught his attention, he turned to investigate. Looking in, he saw the man lying on his side, a half finished piece of bread in hand.

"He's asleep, _move_ ," Viola told him, pushing him aside roughly while her niece followed, both of them hurrying to the rope. She grabbed her bag before lowering herself into the room, her niece right behind her. Law watched with some puzzlement as they bypassed the body of the man he'd killed earlier, and hastily replenished Sanji's food supply, along with some containers of water. She pulled on some gloves, and physically looked him over with a thorough examination, showing no signs of embarrassment as she looked over his exposed private parts. She looked relieved at what she found, but she still gestured for a smaller container, the younger handing it to her hastily.

Law realized that they were treating Sanji, applying ointment and cleaning his feet, using another container of water to lightly wash his hair and hands.

"Rebecca, the message," Viola ordered, Rebecca rummaging through the backpack and finding a spray can of paint. Hurrying over to a wall she wrote out accusing messages, Law watching with some rising amusement.

'You should be ashamed of yourselves!'

'God is watching you!'

'We know your names!'

"So, you'll stake the place out all night just to catch the perpetrators?" he asked.

Viola huffed, glaring up at him while reaching for the flashlight nearby. She replenished the batteries, propped it near his things so he'd find it later. She then pulled his cape over him so he was decently covered, then rose to brush herself off.

"No, Zoro will find and kill us," she muttered. "We're no match for his animal instincts. But we can shame these people."

"I'm sure they feel really bad," he assured her sarcastically.

She reddened, but they gathered up their supplies, and hastily made their way up the rope. He stepped aside to give them room. Once up top they both stilled, listening for the noises that they'd heard earlier and hearing nothing. Both of them quickly retrieved their things and headed for the window.

"Your friend is dead," she told Law nastily before retreating out the window, both of them exposed to the sun that illuminated the streets around them. Mist swirled through the area, building up from the coastline with a chilly blanketing. It battled with the smoke coming in from the mountains, sizzling lightly in the extreme quiet.

He didn't give a thought to Kid. He turned and walked back to the hall to look back down at Sanji, watching him sleep fitfully. Spying the half eaten food, he hopped down to investigate, opening it up to reveal small sprinkles of light colored material inside. He tossed it aside, then examined the messages on the wall. Hearing more movement from the top, he expected to see the women return but it was only a single man looking at him with a start before focusing in on the unconscious man on the floor.

"You done?" he was asked hastily, as a belt was undone.

" _Filthy_ ," Law commented, hand sweeping out to dispatch of him. Once he was satisfied with the splatter left behind, he frowned down at the man sleeping on the rotting wall. Despite his feelings of disgust, he still felt _something_ looking at Sanji. He wasn't sure what it was – wasn't sure how to separate his feelings to place them correctly. But he thought about the woman's words, thinking over how the colonists viewed the pair. He could still apply it to their situation.

Once it was learned of who they were, he was positive they would be viewed similarly – as monsters, though. Incapable of feeling the right things, of being human. They could destroy lives without a second thought or a shred of emotion just as he did with these men, but was understanding something he wanted from these people?

So far, all he was treated to was ignorance. None of them were like the Marines, forceful and demanding, but treating them with a sense of trepidation and insistence on following their practices to contribute without asking them if they were comfortable with it. While the fear was expected, their demands were unreasonable; they weren't being 'taught' to understand, they were being expected to know exactly why they were to work.

It caused a natural reaction to rebel; which was why they felt unsettled and reluctant to participate, but seeing this situation made it worse for Law's mood. Seeing two superhumans being mistreated despite their own abilities and cast out made Law think that this would happen to them as well. It would only be a matter of time.

He did not understand why these two allowed this mistreatment – they were stronger, they had abilities none could match, so why did they allow these types of crimes to happen? The loss of respect made him angry inside – if Zoro was feared in this sense, why allow himself to be treated this way? Sanji's ability was useless – it angered Law that the blond allowed himself to fall prey to his own disaster.

He glared down at him once more, using his boot to prod at him.

This was confusing. He hadn't cared for the response of the others when it came to mistreatment of their conditions – he couldn't count how many times he'd ignored their complaints and tempers when pushed too far, and they would do the same for him. How many times had he walked over them when they fell in the training rooms, exhausted or hurt?

Or was it only his sense of possessiveness that motivated him to interfere? He'd already told Sanji how he felt if he saw other men courting him – he had removed the men coming in for their turn. Despite his rancid feelings over the situation, this had meant something, didn't it? He wished Corazon was there to tell him how he should be feeling and what it mean to feel some way. He was sure the Marine would have something helpful to say in this situation. That way, once he had the idea, he would treat it appropriately.

He saw Sanji stir, blinking open sluggish eyes as his fingers curled around the ghost of the bread he'd held earlier. His jaw flexed, still chewing on the bite he'd taken earlier. His skin seemed to flush with color as he stretched lightly, rousing himself from a lethargic sleep. With his appearance and Viola's earlier mention, his metabolism had burned through the drug. Law watched him with scorn, reaching out with a boot to settle against his shoulder once Sanji caught sight of him with an eager look crossing his features.

With some force he pinned him to the floor, Sanji moving about restlessly; not in pain, but complaining wordlessly by the denial. His fingers reached out and curled around his ankles to hold onto him, looking up at him eagerly. Law felt his face scrunch with irritation at this display – he ground his boot harder into Sanji's shoulder, and though he winced, he didn't release him or change his tune. His face only flushed with color, pupils expanding as he panted lightly, moving restlessly towards him. How was it that rational thought was lost in this mindlessness? The woman had said instinct took over, but wouldn't instinct warn them to pain or danger?

He lifted his boot and kicked him, hearing his cry of pain. For a moment Sanji stilled, but he looked up at Law with some alarm – losing that expression of mindless wanting for something resembling coherence. When Law made to kick him again he flinched in reaction, pushing up to a seated position to hunch away from him.

"You can feel and judge _that_ , but you can't shake yourself out of this heat?" Law asked him harshly as he followed after him, watching as Sanji continued to shy away from him. "Or do you even try?"

Breathing tightly, Sanji watched him approach. His whines emerged lightly, but his body shifted to show vulnerability, showing off his naked front that Law had only seen canines do in nature videos. Law was disgusted once again, lip curling as the very human man looked up at him with apprehension, desperately trying to show his submissive side to escape anymore injury. He kicked him again, Sanji scrambling away from him with a keening yelp, looking up at him with fearful action as he pressed up against the wall, tucking his limbs in against himself to avoid contact with him.

"You willingly placed yourself into harm's way just to feed us the other day," Law said, following after him. "All on your own, despite our vulnerability! You showed no fear then! And _now_ you show your belly like a fucking dog? Is there any human inside of you that will overcome this pathetic show of animal behavior?"

He kicked him again, Sanji yelping out before he made to get away, but Law blocked that route, and kicked him as hard as he could, Sanji turning his back to him, hunching over to hide his head.

"Relying on some dog to watch over you while you're in this state? What an excuse!" Law spit down on him, lifting his heel and grinding it down onto his bare foot, causing him to yelp again, fingers moving desperately over his boot to release it. He used all his weight into the action, Sanji pushing against him with agony. Law then used his knee to drive his head into the wall, knocking him senseless before allowing him to slump forward.

He stepped back to observe his work, listening to the pained whines leaving the other man. The sight was pitiful – just a few harsh words and action had left the blond simpering on the ground. Not fully released from his instinct, but coherent enough to fear him now. When Sanji looked up at him cautiously, his pupils weren't so wide – though flushed, he wasn't so feverish for contact.

Law lifted a leg to kick him again when Sanji cried out, "Stop! _Stop_!"

Lowering his foot to the ground, Law studied him. "Are you lucid?"

Panting, Sanji just watched him. He made to escape when Law followed, so he resettled back into place, pressed up against the wall with fear. After some seconds, that flush returned and his eyes turned glassy, nostrils working briefly as he smelled something Law didn't through the smoke and the exposed matter of the two men nearby. He turned to face the taller man, cautiously reaching for him.

"It hurts," he whimpered, fingers clasping lightly onto Law's pants as the man frowned down at him with some frustration. "It hurts!"

"We had our instincts beaten out of us over a period of time," Law told him, standing rigidly as Sanji slowly determined that no harm was coming to him. "Forced to see pain as an obstacle. After awhile, we didn't feel hurt – we just grew angry if any discomfort came to us. I wonder if it will work on you?"

Sanji said nothing in response, on his knees to tentatively lick the material of Law's pants at the thigh. Law scowled at him, using his knee to push him back. Instead of curling up as he had earlier, Sanji sat back to reveal his front again, to show he wasn't any threat to him. With frustration, Law drove his heel down into his groin, causing him to scream in reaction. As his body hunched to protect himself, Law lifted his knee to drill him back into the wall once more.

"Get up!" he snapped at him, over his hoarse cries of pain, watching him writhe on the floor, holding himself. " _GET UP_!"

When the man didn't respond to his command, Law grabbed a handful of his hair and tugged him away from the wall, moving towards the other side of the room towards his things. Caught up in anguish, Sanji could only drag himself along with the action, uttering high cries of agony as he did so. Releasing his hair to look into his face, Law saw some coherency in that pain-filled expression, and he curled his fingers tight around the man's jaw just so Sanji would continue looking at him to understand him.

"If you wanted to remain being a victim of your circumstances, you should've just left us there," Law told him firmly, squeezing his jaw tight until Sanji whimpered, spittle falling over his lips as he struggled to breathe through the pain. "You'll stop behaving in this classless manner, and make your humanity stronger than your useless animal half."

He then shoved his head aside, standing over him menacingly as the blond struggled to pull himself together. His hands gripped himself, shoulders shaking as minutes passed. When he looked back at Law again, his eyes were red with pain. Plenty of Marines had looked at Law in this fashion – afraid and vulnerable after a losing battle, but he felt a different sort of power to see this one man looking up at him in this manner. He could see Sanji's thin chest splotchy with color, bone and muscle pushing against skin with every breath. He was dirty, nearly naked, vulnerable – but this human aspect of submissiveness felt different from the one Sanji tried presenting earlier. It gave Law a different sort of emotion.

 _What the hell am I feeling_? Law thought to himself with some bewilderment.

Whimpering noisily, Sanji was stuck between comforting himself and trying to fight the rising sensation of need that erupted over him despite the treatment. Since Law was the only one present, his body still reacted traitorously to him – filling with blood in sore and aching areas that had been damaged by the man's boot earlier. He squeezed his eyes shut, leaning over to support himself on the floor, unable to sort through the haze of his thoughts to stop the pain and stop the sensation of arousal that continued to pain him despite his earlier agony.

Law walked around him, watching him struggle to put himself together. Seeing his aroused state return despite the treatment, he shook his head. He kicked one of his supporting arms out from under him, causing him to flop onto the floor.

"You'll have to do better than that," he warned Sanji low. "Is this something you like? Having the colony's derision focused on your obscene behavior? No wonder they treat you with such disrespect. You haven't even mastered your own body to be anything of worth."

"You must enjoy being pitied," he added, stepping over him to look down at him as Sanji peeked out from one arm to look at him. "You make me _sick_."

Looking at him miserably, Sanji rubbed himself. Law made to unhook his jacket, and Sanji flinched, ducking his head with a distressed whine. Before he could complete the sound, Law kicked him, imprint left over his cheek and forehead, causing the man to hunch down immediately, panting heavily as he struggled to hold himself up.

"Each time you come to me for some sick want of yours, you're going to regret it," Law told him firmly, tossing his jacket aside. "It seems to be the only way to stop this behavior. I refuse to allow it to continue any further with all these visitors approaching you. I told you I wouldn't like seeing it. You'll also address me properly, with full sentences and intelligible action – any time you utter any sound that isn't of human description, you'll receive a boot to the face."

Staring at him with distress, Sanji's body shook violently. He kept a wary eye on the man that walked around him, cracking his knuckles. Already stiff with tension and injury, his instincts warred within himself. He was in danger, but his body kept prompting him to seek relief. It still wanted contact, and despite his hurt places, they demanded some sort of relief from the fever that kept him near mindless.

He sputtered, "P-please…!"

"'Please' _what_?" Law asked him gruffly.

Sanji couldn't arrange his thoughts into a suitable stream. He just knew he had to, struggling to find the right structure to convey his plea but unable to form the proper formation for the words he needed. Before he could think of the words needed, he felt the underside of Law's boot connect with his jaw and nose, filling his nasal cavity with the urgent sensation to sneeze and snort at the same time. He jolted backward from danger, every instinct raging within him to scramble away, but Law stopped him from doing so by stomping down hard on his knee and pining it onto the floor with such painful force that Sanji cried out breathlessly.

Grinding the sensitive joint into the floor, Law waited for Sanji to continue speaking; all that left him were unintelligible pained noises. "Use words!" he snapped, before pushing away.

" _Please stop_!" Sanji cried out brokenly, holding onto that limb, blood dripping over his mouth from his nose.

"Okay," Law said, shrugging as he resettled into a relaxed position. He watched Sanji soothe himself, unmindful of his bloodied nose, staring up at him with such fear that it was almost similar to seeing Luffy with that kitten all over again. The unpleasant memory made him twitch. "Then answer this – you were experimented upon, yes?"

Sanji nodded, then winced when he watched Law's leg lift. "Yes, I was!"

Law lowered his foot to the floor as Sanji's heaving breathing filled the room. "If you're not originally from this island, where are you from, where science is more accepted?"

Struggling to think, Sanji pulled his leg in close, seated at an angle away from him. "Across….the sea. I don't know."

"This is why you were rejected? Because you are an unsuitable animal?"

Sanji nodded hurriedly, Law lifting a foot before the blond lifted his hands to protect his face, cringing as he waited for the blow to land. Gasping, he uttered, "I wasn't the right one!"

"Does this place serve more of a military base than growing crops?" Law asked.

"I don't know! I…was young, I don't know!"

"Are there maps of the world I can consult in order to find this base?" Law asked, thinking about Robin's archives and remembering not seeing any.

Sanji shrugged, and wasn't fast enough to stop the boot from landing onto his ribs, knocking him completely over on his side. He curled up once more, hiding his head. "I haven't seen any!"

"When we return to the colony, you can give me more of an answer," Law assured him, examining his fingernails. He looked down at the man that looked up at him with a terrified expression, and stepped towards him. There was something inside of him that enjoyed seeing fear manifest as a frantic scramble away from him, much different from the foreign behavior of earlier that left him with an uncertain reaction of his own. Being in better control of himself, knowing his battlefield, gave Law the confidence he'd lacked when Sanji was all over him.

"Get dressed," he told him, looking over his dirty form and giving his opened shirt a disgusted look. "We're returning to the colony. You're a part of them, they need to accept every part of you, no matter how repulsive it is."

Sanji shook his head hurriedly, saying, "We aren't allowed! Not until the full moon is over…Zoro's – "

"I don't care about Zoro's condition. Get up."

"People won't like it."

"You won't act like this around them any longer," Law assured him, reaching out to grab the collar of his shirt, dragging him towards his things. "And if you do, I'll just beat you all over again until you no longer forget. This weak and obscene behavior is unacceptable and it will stop."

For a few moments, Sanji sat there, utterly confused. His hormones were raging, pleased by the show of strength and dominance, and others were crying out with fear and dismay, wanting away from the danger. He realized he was bleeding, reaching up to wipe his face, watching color come away with his hand. Law kicked his bag to him, Sanji's hands shaking furiously as he found his clothes.

Nearly a half hour later, they were leaving the building. Sanji struggled with every step, hormones raging like fire through him. His body was burning with need and confused by pain caused by his injuries. His clothing was uncomfortably restrictive, causing his temperature to burn, and the outside light caused him discomfort, pupils still wide with his heat. But every time Law looked back at him to make sure he was still in line with him, Sanji strained to remain upright. They walked through the empty city streets until Law realized Sanji wasn't moving. He turned to look behind him, catching sight of the blond focused in another direction.

Looking, Law caught sight of the massive beast coming his way, eating up the distance with ease. It was matted with blood, dirt, left back leg stiff, but those teeth looked very healthy and able. Law had enough time to form a Room, and swiped a hand through the air, moving left to right. The animal skid across the street, sending up a plume of dust and ash that made him cough. The beast's back legs kicked uselessly as it struggled to rise up, snarling viciously as it intended to continue the attack with only its upper half. Seeing where he'd cut wrong, Law once again used his palm to cut again, effectively removing its front arms from its torso, the beast collapsing once again.

Panting heavily, the creature's narrowed eyes locked in on him, teeth still bared. It wiggled fiercely in an effort to continue towards him, but without any assistance from any limbs, it moved slowly across the distance to do so. Curling his lip, Law turned and continued walking, dismantling his Room without any more attention towards the beast that barked after him. With a wide-eyed expression, Sanji stood where he was, watching Zoro struggle to continue his attack.

The werewolf couldn't move, and its cut torso moved without effort in various directions, unable to coordinate the proper movement to follow through. Eventually he started to whine, Sanji approaching him slowly. He reached out to touch his head, petting him sloppily while Zoro looked up at him with a canine show of concern.

"Hurry up!" Law snapped back at him, both of them stilling in reaction.

"We're going back to the colony," Sanji whispered hastily to Zoro, stroking along his ears and forehead as the puzzled curl of his mouth revealed his response. He sniffed noisily at the blond, only understanding that he was not yet over his heat, but also catching traces of tension and fear in the man. He whined with concern, his torso moving uselessly into one direction while his bottom half struggled to stand. Amazed at seeing his friend cut into such drastic pieces while still retaining life, Sanji stared until he caught sight of Law looking back at him.

"I'm sorry," he apologized to Zoro, wanting to add more but unable to think of exactly what to say. His thoughts still burned for needed contact, and though the werewolf's tongue lapped at his smudged face, Sanji pushed away from him and walked stiffly towards the other man.

Law wondered if Kid had fallen in battle, considering just how intact Zoro had been earlier, but shrugged it off once Sanji reached him. The werewolf continued crying out, whining as large pieces of him moved aimlessly along the pavement. Unable to do anything for his friend, the creature howled piteously after them.

: :

At the colony gates, some of the guardsmen gaped openly at them as they approached. As one signaled for them to stop for questioning, Law had teleported both himself and Sanji beyond the gates, causing a slight scene behind them as the guardsmen scrambled to interfere. Those that saw them appear reacted with startled action and worried expressions, calling for Iceburg's recommendation to appease the situation. It felt shameful appearing back to the colonists in this state, but Sanji kept his cape closed to hide the unforgiving reaction of his body as male tension rose around them.

Shouts of displeasure and dismay rang out, outcry occurring over the appearance of the werewolf that was sure to follow after them. Weapons were drawn as civilians hastened out of the area, chickens squawking with alarm as people ran in various directions. Law watched everyone's reactions with apathy – one would think that he'd just strolled through the gates with a nuclear warhead considering the movement around him, and it was just a single man in animalistic heat.

He wondered which of the men scrambling to post defense against their arrival were those risking life to partake in the event, and felt his back tense. It could be any of them – Sanji wouldn't remember. He looked back at the man to see his face hidden within the hood he wore, one dirtied hand clutching the cape closed. Sanji was quite aware of the effect he had on everyone, but to Law, this only signaled guilt of those gathering around them.

Before he could address any of them, Luffy came swinging up from out of nowhere, nearly slamming into the dirt before he could catch himself. Oblivious to the reactions around him, he eagerly pushed up against Sanji with an excited greeting.

"Listen, I don't know if you know this, but no one else wants to give me anything," he told the blond, who pushed him away hastily. Sanji looked at Law as the taller man looked back at him in warning, waiting for him to react inappropriately. Afraid of what could happen, Sanji did his best to hold himself back; it was a superhuman struggle, because he could smell the teen's strong male scent, something virile and delicious, something that could fulfill him. His skin started to moisten with sweat, body aching in so many places that he couldn't tell what hurt and what ached with desire. "So even if you cook something that tastes like shit, you're not a cook like the others, right? You can do it on your own?"

"Back up, you idiot," Law snapped at Luffy. "We're in no state to feed your disgusting appetite."

"Yeah, but - ! Hey, were you guys outside?" Luffy then asked incredulously. "I thought we weren't supposed to go outside! There's a beast that will eat us!"

"That stupid rule is changing," Law said, catching sight of Iceburg hurrying over via oxen, both of whom were decorated grandly in bright colors and jingling bells at their collars. The wagon bounced wildly along the dirt path, guardsmen hanging at the doors as guns were drawn.

"Really? _Why_?" Luffy asked curiously. "Because they kept telling us the full moon brings out this really cool monster that eats everybody, so - !"

"What's going on?" Iceburg asked incredulously, hurrying over once the oxen were stopped. They bellowed anxiously as they caught the animal scents coming from Sanji, who refused to lift his face to look at the man. "Hey, full moon isn't over yet! What are you doing here?"

"You cast these two men out from inside of your walls because of one ignorant opinion?" Law questioned him aggressively, Luffy stilling once he recognized his tone.

Iceburg looked at his expression with examination, then to Sanji. He looked back at Law. "They were asked to remove themselves from inside the walls because of a bad incident that happened the first time. For the safety and relief of those living here."

"That changes today," Law told him. "He is no longer allowed to leave because _your_ people can't hold themselves back from taking advantage of his inferior state. It's your people that caused the problems, not him."

"Zoro killed twenty people that night, while, yes, it's understandable that Sanji cannot control himself, but those that took advantage of it – "

"You excuse the behavior of _full grown men_ but not that of a half breed that can't even think for himself during a vulnerable period? Your sanity must be questioned. Or did you remove him so you aren't tempted, either?"

Iceburg reddened, frowning deeply at Law. "As a general populace, losing lives to a rampaging monster as the result of a – "

" _Ignored_ because it sounds like you'll tell me something stupid," Law said, walking on. He gestured at the guardsman that lifted their guns in reaction. "If you don't remove these guns from my direction, I will remove all of their heads from their bodies."

Iceburg looked after him incredulously, mouth dropped open. Luffy's lips were sucked between his teeth as he looked at Iceburg with question, waiting to see what Law could get away with. Then he looked at Sanji, noticing the shamed expression on his face as he kept his cape held tight in front of him, sweating profusely as he struggled to retain control of himself. Luffy wasn't sure what that meant, forehead furrowed with curiosity, but he saw the flash of light as Law formed a Room, and saw heads fly. Screams erupted as heads rolled from panicked bodies, and Iceburg couldn't react properly.

Shrugging, Luffy skipped away from him, reaching Law's side as the man examined his work.

"Does this mean we don't have to listen to anybody?" he asked.

"I saw someone holding a sword, today," Law told him. "Where are the weapons made, do you know?"

"Like Zoro's? Do you want one too? Why don't we ask him?"

" _You can't do this_!" Iceburg shouted after Law, striding after him. "We let you into our colony, to house and feed you and take care of you! You cannot turn on those that helped you!"

Law studied the man's expression for a few moments before a sly smile crossed his lips. "Are Zoro and Sanji your only true superhumans here in this place?" he asked.

"There are others!"

"It's not that you _let_ us in," Law told him quietly, lifting an eyebrow, "it's that we _allowed_ you to take us in."

Iceburg shut his mouth, paling slightly.

"We will continue to stay here, following our own rules, until _we_ decide what to do," Law finished, looking beyond him. "Sanji. Let's go."

Sputtering wordlessly, Iceburg couldn't think of a single argument as he watched Law walk on, Luffy trailing after him happily, telling him about the things he saw this morning. When Sanji passed him, Iceburg frowned tightly. He knew the blond could feel it, for his shoulders hunched from underneath his cape. Spying the panicked heads of those rolling around on the ground, Iceburg's hands settled on his hips.

He had a very bad feeling that only seemed to grow as he watched the three take on the main road, leaving their mess behind.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I had almost forgotten that this chapter was done! Sorry to post it after updating other *happier fics, but I have to clean out my email files :(

thanks to all those that reviewed my last chapter! Bc I'm now involved with "Dust to Dust", this one will sit for awhile. May as well considering the Not Happy content in this chapter. It gets messier as it progresses D: this will definitely be a different type of LawSan for me.

 **: : Nine**

A new sort of tension began to hover over the colony after news spread over what occurred hours earlier. The house the four had taken residence in was regarded cautiously by those passing by, and Perona was only aware of it because as she returned with an armful of outfits she'd made with the other seamstresses, she noticed how people did their best not to look at her. She was wearing a specially crafted outfit, today; a tulle skirt cut short in front and long in the back that was overlaid with leather plating, and a corset that rendered her an unnatural waistline, sleeves and chest material puffed and set with homey fabric. Her style usually had most of the colony women looking at her with startled action and men unsure of how to react, so to see them all turn away from her hastily made her feel suspicious.

She kicked the door in, skirts ruffling noisily as she did so. "Alright, what'd you do, asshole?" she shouted accusingly, dropping her completed outfits on the nearby table. With night settling in, dinner had already been served so Luffy was eating the last of it on the rocking chair. Because none of them knew how to feed themselves, ladies from the community kitchen would drop off baskets of food for them.

She saw that Law was back, wearing a pensive pout as he emerged from the back room, where their beds were located. "Where'd you go?"

Law shrugged a shoulder. Seeing movement behind him, Perona stood on her tiptoes to see Sanji sitting on the floor in the back corner of the room, unnaturally flushed and coloring his dirty shirt with sweat. He was facing the corner, where Law's bed and Luffy's nearly touched to accommodate for space to fit them all in comfortably, with space to spare. His hands traveled restlessly over himself, touching himself in such a way that her eyes widened even larger with bewilderment. "Oh my god, is he _sick_? Are we going to _die_? Hey, where's Zoro?"

"What's it look like outside?" Law asked her, hands in his pockets. He gave her outfit a scornful examination. It looked like something from western and dominitrex wear. "And what are you wearing?"

"Shut up, bastard, I'm cute and I know it!" Perona huffed, drawing out her measuring tape, pulling it firm as she bypassed him and walked up to Sanji. The blond looked at her with a flush of pleasure, immediately eying her chest as she crouched down next to him to take measure of his frame.

"Aren't you _pretty_?" he huffed, looking at her dreamily while she looked back at him with disgust.

"Hands to yourself!" Law snapped at him, causing him to go rigid for a moment, eyes sliding in his direction before he suppressed a light whine.

She made to snap at Sanji as well when his eyes drifted away from her and immediately refocused on the floor where his panting intensified, hands clenching tightly atop of the wood. She didn't know what was going on with him, but she concentrated on her task as she memorized the numbers she found while moving around him.

"And _why_?" Perona then asked Law, looking over her shoulder. "Everyone's looking at me funny."

"I ordered some changes around here," Law answered.

"If it's not you, it's Kid," she said with an eye roll. "If it were Sengoku, you'd get shit. Hey, if it doesn't work out, you can always burn the place down, huh?"

"It's not an option, yet."

"Did you guys see the monster? There's a monster that roams the city – "

"It's only Zoro. As some…beast."

"Ugh, so not _cute_ ," she muttered, disappointed. "So what's your problem this time?"

"Don't you get tired of being told what to do?" Luffy asked her curiously, examining the piece of vegetable he'd found in his soup. "Because I do."

"Well, _duh_. They were trying to tell me I had to dye my own fabric, and I told them these hands weren't made for that. Some of them tried to talk shit but I can handle it." Perona straightened up with a huff, measuring tape at her side. "What's out there? Anything exciting?"

"Not really," Law told her. "Go away, now."

"This is _my_ house, too!" But Perona strode away from him, heading for the pile of clothes she'd brought with her. Law stood in the doorway of the bedroom, positioned so he could keep an eye on the blond and focus on the pair in the main room. She held up a shirt, tossing it to him. "Very Jon Snow, right now. And you, dumbass, here – these are _way_ cooler than those jeans you're wearing."

"I hate pants," Luffy told her as the material landed over his head and shoulders. "I'm not wearing this."

"Just try them on!"

"No! My legs will _die_!"

"You're such a baby!"

Both of them fell silent when the door slammed open, Luffy nearly spitting out his soup with astonishment. Kid staggered in, covered from head to toe in dust, dried blood, his face clearly bearing the most of his injuries. He'd lost his jacket in battle and his pants were torn around the knees, material hanging down in shreds. Perona shrieked with shock, Luffy's mouth falling open with awe, Law looking surprised. Spitting colored mucus from the side of his mouth, Kid walked in on unsteady legs then collapsed just inside the doorway, arms sprawled at his sides. Perona stomped over him and slammed the door shut.

"Just because you're dying doesn't excuse you into letting all the flies in," she admonished him sternly.

"Did you lose?" Law asked. "Because _he_ didn't look this bad."

"You got to fight the monster? _Lucky_!" Luffy cried, setting aside his bowl and shoving the pants away from him. "You guys need to let me go with you next time!"

"I didn't lose," Kid insisted against the floor, turning his head to one side to breathe tightly. His eye was so swollen that the lid protruded away from him, his cheek oozing as the scabbing was disturbed. Perona crouched down next to him, poking at it with one long fingernail. He swatted at her. "But he's fucking _tough_."

"My turn!" Luffy shouted, grinning.

"I already took him apart," Law told him as he straightened away from the door. "He's useless until I put him back together."

" _Aw_ ," Luffy whined, immediately deflating.

"I ran out of energy," Kid complained heavily as he glared at his dirty, scraped hands with regret. "We weren't trained for long runs! That's my only thing! It didn't matter what PR I made in gym, it was nothing compared to him! He kept on coming and I - ! Ugh, everything just – _failed_!"

"We weren't made for endurance," Law agreed bitterly.

Curling his hands into fists, Kid growled into the floor. He crawled towards the couch, using what he had left to pull himself atop of it. Blood was left behind him as his cheek dripped, spilling over the armrest and blanket that had been left folded at the other end.

"I'm fucking _tired_ ," he muttered. "Don't talk to me, don't bother me, or I will not hesitate to bite a bitch."

"We were just talking about how Trafalgar here started a fight with Iceburg," Perona said.

"KNOCK IT OFF!" Kid bellowed at Law. He pushed his head against the armrest, trying to find a comfortable position to rest.

"So people are now looking at us funny."

Kid draped an arm over his eyes. "Hide the matches until I'm done being tired…"

"If I chose to burn this place down, it would backfire on us," Law said calmly, glancing back at Sanji to see how he was doing. The blond's restless movements kept producing a creaky shift of the floor, his face strained with his efforts. With how glassy his eyes were, the way he trapped small noises in his throat, Law doubted the blond was even mindful of them being there. "We're still not adapted to this world."

" _Yeah_ ," Luffy added, looking at his empty bowls with dejection, stomach growling noisily. "This food doesn't make me happy at all."

"Okay, _shut up_ , now," Kid told them tiredly. Then he opened his eyes, lifting his head to look at Law accusingly. "Hey, where'd _you_ go?"

"Crazy, apparently," Law answered lightly.

"This thing with Iceburg going to fuck us up in some way?"

"Yeah."

"'tch," Kid muttered, resettling his head.

"I just don't agree to some of the rules we're expected to follow."

"They're bullshit if they think we're gonna do what they want us to do!"

"I thought you were _so tired_ ," Perona mocked Kid, sorting through her clothes, creating different piles for each.

"I am! But I also have an opinion. _Look_ ," Kid said, pushing himself up to a sitting position, legs swinging to the edge of the couch. "I made myself clear all this time. I don't want to do stuff I don't want to do. I don't appreciate being told to do anything. If you have to raise cain to help us out, then do whatever. But don't expect me to follow along behind you. You're not the leader, here."

"I never said I was," Law said, growing offended. "I'm doing what I want."

"I want to, too! But I don't want you winding up in a position where _you're_ telling us what to do!"

"I'm not telling you what to do, and I wouldn't think of it. You just happen to follow along in my wake."

" _I do not_!" Kid yelled impatiently at him. "You make these suggestions to which I respond because it's the same thing _I_ want to do! Like the other night!"

"You didn't have to follow me," Law pointed out. "I never asked you to tag along."

Growling, Kid flopped back down to turn his back to them, exposing road rash, claw marks and mysterious red splotches caused by some type of injury. Settling against the bloodstained armrest as best as he could, he muttered, "Just don't think you're here to tell me what to do."

"I don't think any of us will do that," Perona said, fluffing out her new dress, examining the stitching along the sides. "But it's only silently agreed that most of us think similarly."

"I don't think like _him_ ," both men said.

"Are any of us king material?" Luffy questioned, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Because if any of us were, would we want to take control of the colony to tell them what to do instead?"

Perona laughed shrilly at him. "I can't see you as king of anything!"

"I'd be an amazing king! I could do whatever I want!"

"But how would you tell people what to do?"

"I don't know, I haven't thought that far."

" _Useless_!"

"It isn't that I want to takeover on anything," Law said thoughtfully, "but my freedom matters on what I'm comfortable with versus brainlessly taking charge of something I don't understand. To which this applies to our situation – here in this future, we know nothing about our living conditions, nor which foods are appropriate, or what technology we're comfortable with."

"Yeah, but if you take over on anything, you'll have people to think about that stuff for you!" Kid argued. "All you gotta do is talk to them about it!"

"If they know more than you do about a subject, then why bother being above them at all?"

"You make them know less than you, and make them do what you want."

" _Useless_ ," Law told him.

"Don't copy me!" Perona shouted at him.

Kid sat up again, palm out to punctuate his words. Perona wrinkled her nose as she saw that his cheek was still oozing, dripping over his chest and pants with renewed action. "All I'm saying is, if you take over on Iceburg's position as mayor – "

"That's the thing, I don't want his position."

"This is for _example_!"

"Then I don't want to waste my breath on it."

Kid snarled. "Ugh, you're so _infuriating_!"

"And you're dripping."

"Those people placed us in a bad spot," Kid muttered, brushing at himself absently, smearing blood over his pectorals, "if they knew the bombs were dropping, they should've left us out. What was the point in shielding us?"

"Perhaps to save us for later. A lot less later," Law added.

"Did they expect to survive? That's the thing here – that bunker was made to hold life for some time – "

"On limited reserves, which apparently went to our pods. It didn't require that much energy to power the entire bunker. The power was only activated when those three imbeciles found the door and opened it."

"If they wanted us to live, then _who_ was in charge of us when a situation like that played out?" Kid insisted. "I would've thought Sengoku would've stayed behind. What prompted all of them to abandon us the way they did so we woke up alone?"

Law shrugged. "All that we've ever known is that we're to fight for them. If that building was eliminated through the bombing and time, then we'll never know."

"There was an office," Kid started to say, narrowing his eye thoughtfully, "that we had to pass through on our way out. Remember that? What if there was stuff in there that could give us more details?"

"There were _plenty_ of offices in that space to explore," Perona said, lighting up. "Should we go back there? I want to see my babies!"

"They're probably all rotted to hell by now!"

"As long as the skeleton exists, my babies will be fine!"

With a huff, Kid flopped back onto the couch. "Okay, leave me alone, now. I'm sleeping for real."

"From the clues left behind, it was Corazon that made sure we were able to escape in the event that we were released," Law said, rubbing his goatee thoughtfully. " _She_ was the only one without restraints, there was a key in her pod – _he_ wasn't properly isolated. Corazon left behind a master key for us to utilize in the event that we were awakened, but only in secret. He had expected someone to free us, but the question remains – _were_ we expected to die? What if the bombing wasn't limited to the world, but to the base? An inside job meant to eliminate us before we could be properly revealed?"

"It wasn't that big of a secret!" Kid insisted, sitting up again. "Because people knew _of_ us! The research brought in tours from other countries' top military brass to show us off!"

"Allies only."

"But why make us if they didn't want us?" Perona asked. "We were specially made for their use! Why suddenly say they don't want us, anymore?"

"I'll make a trip to look over Robin's archives, tomorrow," Law decided. "And after that, I'll return to the base to see what I can find."

"Oh, you're _the only one_ that can read around here?" Kid asked impatiently. " _I'll_ go to the damn archives because I have a few questions about goddamn werewolves!"

"I'm not doing this to trade or share information with you," Law told him. "I'm doing this because _I'm_ curious."

"Oh, you're _the only one_ curious about this entire thing?"

"God, _shut up_."

"YOU SHUT UP! I'm trying to _sleep_ , and you keep talking my goddamn ear off!"

" _Both_ of you shut up!" Perona shouted, stomping her foot impatiently.

"I don't know," Luffy contributed, reaching for the loaf of bread he'd found in the food basket under the table, "I don't care about that kind of stuff. What's in the library, anyway? A lot of boring stuff, I bet. I don't care what you guys do, but if you're going to fight about stuff, then that's what I'm interested in. How come you want to know about werewolves, Kid?"

"Oh, just some stuff," Kid said hurriedly, suddenly looking sheepish. "Like, I watched 'Twilight' with Perona once? But none of that was the same with this guy. So I think I need to do some research to know my opponent better."

"It's so _romantic_!" Perona sighed dreamily. "True love exists anywhere in any form!"

"And it made me realize I know _nothing_ about werewolves. Hey, you ever find that other guy?" Kid asked Law, sitting up once more.

"Yeah, he's right here," Law said, thumb in that direction.

"What's he doing _here_? I thought they both had to be out there!"

"These are part of the changes."

"He's sick or something," Perona told Kid. "Because he doesn't look good."

"From what I understand he goes through that stuff, too, right? Is he still human?" Kid asked curiously, too weak to stand up and check for himself.

"Yes. But he's in heat. None of you are allowed in there until it's over."

Kid stared at Law for several moments, unable to tell if the man were just playing with him. Perona stared at Law as well, bewildered.

"What…does that mean?" Kid asked slowly, Luffy pausing in mid-chew once he recognized that their tones had changed.

"It's an inappropriate behavior change grounded on a baseless myth that a full moon brings out a sexual need for procreation," Law said, Perona furrowing her brow as she struggled with understanding his explanation. "He just needed some guidance on how to appropriately deal with his hormones."

"Okay, that sounds suspicious. Like…real suspicious. You're the hormones police, now?"

"I am."

"You don't have any authority on anybody to tell them how they should be," Perona told Law snottily. "You try and tell me how my body should work, I'll - !"

"I don't care about you. Get pregnant and die."

" _YOU_ DIE!"

"Like, werewolves change because of a full moon, _that's what the legend says_ ," Kid said. "And if he's an animal – like, foxes weird out in the winter because they have kits in spring. So…it's not winter here. Based on the storms lately, this is actually late fall. So, it's like…early."

"Is this why they have to leave?" Perona asked. "Because they mate with _each other_? That's kinda sexy!"

"That's kinda _gross_ ," Luffy said with a puzzled face. "Because if _he's_ a fox and _he's_ a werewolf, I could _kinda_ see some problems!"

"But if they were both _human_!" Perona fanned herself. "I don't know, that's hot. I like that idea. I ship it."

"You're more disturbed than I thought," Law told her, scowling. "Their relationship isn't like that."

" _You don't know that_! Let a girl dream!"

"What a stupid dream."

"Foxes and wolves can't do that. It's like…a rule," Kid said with a frozen expression. "Different species and all. But human…? That's queer."

Luffy laughed. "' _Queer'_!"

"Hey, are we _supposed_ to be straight?" Kid asked, bewildered. "Were we meant to be straight?"

"That's a good question," Perona said, a little dumbfounded. Her eyes widened significantly. "Stuff like that wasn't encouraged or even brought up."

"Like I never thought a girl was hot because I was never around them – "

" _I'm_ a girl!"

"You're a _dick_! Anyway, and we were only surrounded by old men, so what the fuck? Who the hell are we supposed to like?" Kid demanded, hitting his bed with a fist.

"We can like whomever we want!" Luffy declared. "We're free, now!"

"But _how_ do you know? Does it hit us like in the movies? Or do we just get a memo of some type?"

"I hope someone warns me, because I don't know these things," Luffy said with concern.

Perona looked troubled. "I think I fell in love with Robin, but she might've only been the only woman I've ever seen in real life!"

Kid wore a similar expression. "And what if I confuse my feelings as something like admiration and awe? What if we do and we don't know it? Maybe _they'll_ have to be the ones to tell us about it! That would be embarrassing! Not having any control of yourself feels wrong!"

"If you like something, you'd want to keep it close, right?" Perona theorized, finger up. "You'd do whatever it took to keep it in your possession? I know for sure those bitches aren't getting that sewing machine back! Or their fabric supply! I like it, so therefore, I'm going to take it. That's how we got our way! If we wanted something, they usually gave it to us!"

"Not all the time, though," Kid muttered. "I never got that console I'd always wanted, or the tickets to Metalfest!"

Law felt this explanation was appropriate. He glanced back at Sanji as Luffy made his declaration of love for food, citing his reasoning to keep it close. He wasn't sure if Sanji was lucid enough to hear the conversation because he was so intensely focused on keeping himself in one spot, labored breathing barely audible just below the others' voices. Every time his body wiggled out of his control to seek some sort of relief, he'd glance back at the man cautiously. Even in the state he was in, he was coherent enough to escape Law's reach.

Perona's explanation made sense – these feelings of wanting Sanji close, to _himself_ , now made plenty of sense. But how to explore those feelings, understand them? Corazon's earlier rants didn't seem to make any sense to his situation.

'Because she's pretty! Because she doesn't mind a smoker! Because she says she likes tall guys! Because she's sweet!' were some of the reasons why Corazon liked someone. He did not recall the man ever saying he physically appreciated certain parts; Law himself was drawn to all the physicalities of Sanji that made him intriguing. The swell of his ribs against his skin, the softness of his hands, the sweeping blond and brown lashes; physical things that made Law's own body heat just enough for him to notice.

But he couldn't say all that – not when the others were capable of taking his things, and not when he didn't understand it himself.

"Anyway, enough of all that! We were talking why Trafalgar here thinks he's boss over someone's biology!" Kid interrupted, gesturing at him.

"I just think it's dumb and it has to stop, and no one taught him appropriately how to do so," Law said stubbornly, crossing his arms.

"Yeah but – there was no reasoning with Zoro in this form! So how could Sanji be reasoned with…?" Kid trailed off suddenly before saying, "And _who_ made _you_ the expert on this type of thing?"

"I made my stance very clear – "

" _Why_?"

Law shrugged as Kid shot him a bewildered look. Hand to his forehead as he battled a headache, Kid said, "Like, I'm trying to understand this cool thing, and you're - ! Trying to establish control over a guy that wants tons of sex! Like, how is it your business?"

"Neither of them are a part of us," Perona pointed out, Luffy resuming eating as he listened curiously.

"They were both cast out for being different. Something that will happen to us because we won't be able to fit in everywhere," Law said tightly. "I don't need to say anything more on why I chose to do what I did."

"Well I mean, _we're_ trying to understand why you made it a point to go looking for him, then telling him he's not allowed to follow his call of nature," Kid said suspiciously. "You know, you're really grabby and bossy over him. Like the other day, you – "

" _Think_ about it, you idiots," Law snapped over Kid, reddening faintly. "Those three are the only ones that can survive inside _and_ outside of these walls. If something were to happen to this colony, they know how to read the environment, the wildlife, and they know useful food sources. How is this type of information not valuable? With a shaky alliance with Iceburg regarding their abilities, they won't have any type of loyalty to the colony if they were cast out. But _we_ wouldn't survive for very long without them to teach us how."

" _Ahhhh_ ," the three of them said in unison, understanding where he was going.

"An ally!" Luffy said proudly.

"He'd be cuter if he stayed as a fox," Perona said with a sigh.

Kid grunted. "I guess that makes sense…so, _what_ , by doing this you're challenging Iceburg's order and pushing them to take our side by showing how much more loyal we are? That sort of thing?"

" _Yes_ ," Law said.

"Oh," Kid grumbled, looking uncomfortable. "I thought it'd be more…interesting. Like mine…"

"I don't understand – "

"You don't need to! I'm going to sleep! _Shut up_!" Kid yelled before turning his back to them once more, causing them puzzled looks.

Perona was suddenly leaning over him, face drawn with mischievousness. "I'm sensing a disturbance in the Force…something new and perverted, something…'interesting'…"

Kid elbowed her in the face, causing her to squawk before falling away. "GET OFF! I'm dying!"

"I can't keep up with you guys," Luffy said breathlessly as he wiped his brow, causing Law to look at him with bewilderment.

Kid then sat up to look at Law again. "So…I don't hear anything from him. Don't those guys make a lot of noise when it's happening?"

In response Law placed fist within fist. Kid rolled his eyes and flopped back into position with a huge sigh.

Perona studied Law, fiddling with one of her pigtails. "Why don't you take advantage of it? Free sex is free sex, right? And you don't even have to buy them dinner!"

"Because it looks gross!"

"But in the movies, it's _romantic_!"

"This isn't the movies!"

"Like 'Fifty Shades of Grey'!" Perona gasped, lighting up. "If you don't know how, he does!"

"NO!"

"But isn't that part of it?" Kid asked, looking back at them again. "All the movies say that if you like someone, that's part of it."

"All of you rotted your brains out with those things," Law huffed, embarrassed by the subject. "Besides, when he tried I felt gross."

" _He did_?" Perona squealed, fingers interlaced as she danced in place with excitement. "What was it like? Did you guys kiss? Where there hands everywhere? Did you lose your clothes?"

" _NO_!"

"I want to watch! I think that'd be fun to do with someone," she continued on airily, twirling so that her skirts lifted briefly, Luffy looking at her with some disgust. Kid had to sit up again to look at her with the same expression. She hugged herself tightly, hands over her back. "Being caught up in a passionate embrace, swapping spit with each other, getting breathless and hot for more - !"

"Someone get the extinguisher and put out this fire," Kid muttered, pulling a blanket up to his shoulders. Luffy tossed the contents of his cup at her, causing her to sputter and screech as water immediately caused the fabric of her clothes to stick to her. She leapt at him with a snarl, causing him to shout with alarm, jumping from his chair. Law rolled his eyes and walked into the back room, shutting the door behind him. Loud banging noises ensued, Kid yelling fiercely at the pair while Law took a seat on a chair set at an angle from the window.

It was too dark to see much – nightlights weren't common in this life, nor were streetlamps. To protect them from nighttime predators, humans did what they could to remain safe from the wildlife. Life operated at the rise and fall of the sun; but watches displayed time as he knew it. The house hummed with solar powered electricity, but they didn't have access to televisions or movies. The colonies relied on messenger sent by foot and not by telephone, which could be operated only within the walls.

There were small parts of the life he knew still visible in this lifetime, but it was still foreign to him. What he knew of it was confined to the bunker only. Still limited to a sense because he didn't experience too much of it himself. There were many things he hadn't experienced that many already had at his age, and now it felt like that was still impossible to achieve.

He looked to Sanji again, the man hunched over himself, trembling slightly in his corner.

"Take me back to the base, tomorrow," he ordered, propping his feet up on Perona's bed. Sanji turned to look at him, swallowing tightly. His hands were tightly folded in his lap, and he kept shifting about, subtly looking for relief. "I have an investigation I want to conduct."

After a few moments, Sanji gave a breathy, "An 'investigation'? I can investigate -"

" _That_ has nothing to do with my plans. Learn to control yourself. Just because you're part animal doesn't mean it rules you," Law snapped at him. "Besides, what do you get out of it? Excessively mating with different people – it's not like you're seeking kits!"

All he got in return was a low purr, causing him to look back to see him grinding up against the floor with anxious action. "This hurts…it hurts so bad…I just wanna…"

"There is nothing in me that desires the things that you do," Law said with warning.

Sanji wiped sweat from his forehead. He craved touch, his own palm unsatisfying as it came away with moisture and specks of dirt. Struggling for some sort of coherency outside of his physical limits, he said tightly, "You intend on changing rules for yaself. And you gots the power to do so?"

"These rules are imprudent, and it benefits you as well, _stupid_."

"Rules we was fine with."

"You were 'fine' with it?" Law asked as he rose from his chair, Sanji stiffening in reaction. But a moment later he was touching himself again, enjoying the sound of the other man's voice. "You were 'fine' being visited by faces you'll never remember, but they will snicker behind your back and make fun of you to your face on what you can't control? From what we saw, there is _nothing_ good for you here."

"We was _fine_ ," Sanji insisted hotly. He struggled to think and speak clearly, but all his mind was focused on was the heat that continued to burn inside of him. It drove him crazy to smell the scents of those around him, his skin eager for their contact. The only thing that hindered his drive to seek relief was the fear of being mistreated.

"If you're so part of this culture, then why aren't you fully accepted as such?" Law asked, walking over to stand over him menacingly. Fear returned in a cold wave, prompting Sanji to push himself up against the corner he was facing, holding his legs in tight. His breathing intensified, warring with maintaining control over wanting something positive and not wanting to be harmed. "Your speech is appalling, which suggests you never attended school because no one else speaks the way you three do. They cast you out because of how _they_ feel when you're in this mode – they look upon both of you with mockery, they use you like some toy, speak to you as if you're some small animal, and you don't think there is anything wrong with this?"

"They took us in gave us a place, gave us clothes – "

"You're wearing animal fur from the _outside_! If Zoro was a former slave and you were a failed experiment, I guess it would make sense if you felt this sort of 'kindness' was enough," Law then said, thinking about it. "Because you wouldn't know any better. I guess it is foolish of me to think that you'd expect more. In a way, you're outcasts like us - "

"We ain't like you," Sanji insisted feverishly, shaking with the urge to reach out and touch him. His fingers clenched into fists as his eyes dropped, taking in the entirety of the man with a wretched hunger he couldn't control.

Frowning deeply, Law then asked, "If this is all we know, then this is all we are."

"Could've went that way with us, but it didn't."

Because he had a point, Law didn't argue any further. He frowned down at Sanji for several long moments, then turned away from him. Relaxing slightly, Sanji hated the feeling of hunger he still felt for the man's long legs and muscular form. Face flushing, he struggled to think about what had just occurred, finding it difficult to breathe any differently, considering the range of emotions that were heating up his insides.

"Once this colony falls, we won't know what to do out there but both of you do," Law told him, sitting in the chair once more. "It makes more sense keeping allies close."

Sanji scowled at him, turning slightly to face him. "Who says we'd _help_? This is our home."

"It doesn't make sense to defend those who wouldn't step in on your behalf," Law said coldly. "The only people that seemed remotely helpful were those two women and Ussop. Robin doesn't even show any signs of affection unless you're doing something for her."

Giving a restless moan, Sanji searched for something satisfying to relieve this itch he felt that persisted from inside of him. All his touches and rubs were doing nothing but fanning the flames.

"You're not in any position to say 'no'," Law added with a wrinkle of his nose as he watched Sanji rub himself. "Either leave the colony without us noticing, or join. Those are the _only_ choices you have."

" _Please_ ," the other man begged him, on his hands and knees. "Please, this _hurts_ …!"

"Learn to control it! Or," Law rose up from the chair, advancing towards him. Because he recognized violence in that gait, Sanji quickly backed up against the wall, looking at him with a terrified look. He barely had time to cover his face as the other man kicked him there. " _Control it_!"

"I can't!" Sanji wailed piteously, curling up tightly with his head covered by both arms. "I can't _I can't_!"

Grabbing him by his hair, Law forced him out of the corner of the room and began dragging him towards the bathroom. Sanji moved hastily to keep up, his limbs moving clumsily to do so as the other man's unrelenting grip made it impossible for him to escape.

"There are other ways to do this," Law decided, looking at the tub. "If you can't do it physically, then you'll have to experience a mental castration of sorts."

Sputtering for words, Sanji sat there while he heard the other man run water from the faucet into the tub. It made his body shudder at the thought of being undressed, thoughts of pleasure running through the fear that confused his instincts. He started to remove his clothes when Law caught sight of him doing so. He shook his head, reaching out to grab him.

"You don't need to worry about that," he said, hauling him to his feet and then forcing him halfway into the tub. Once Sanji realized that this was not going to be a pleasurable experience, he started to flail wildly, pushing against the tub with chaotic noises. Lukewarm water made its presence known as he made to push against the tub and he made to gasp before he was forced under water.

Law held him in place tightly, counting out the seconds before letting him up for breath. Hearing the other man heave and cough, looking for a stable surface to use to push away, he then forced him back underwater. He looked over his shoulder once he heard the door open behind him, seeing Perona looking in with a horrified look.

"We're busy," he said snottily, ignoring the other man's struggles.

She shrugged. "I guess if you have to, but don't kill him. Make him turn back into a fox, I made something for him."

"That's going to stop," Law told her, lifting his head once more, bracing himself against the tub as Sanji coughed and sputtered, his hands uselessly finding his.

Perona studied him for a few moments then narrowed her eyes. But she slammed the door shut as her answer, so Law returned to his task. Watching his progress, he waited until he had Sanji's head up once more, the man coughing and vomiting out water as he struggled to pull away from him. He reached out and turned the water off, Sanji making to get away from him. He stopped that action with another stomp of his boot over his leg, settling his full weight over it as the man cried out in pain.

"Still want it?" Law asked him, ensnaring his fingers into his shirt and hefting him back up against the tub. "Do you still want it?"

"NO! No, please - !"

"Then you'll sit there for another half hour – if I see you attempt to pleasure yourself in anyway, then we're going to have another talk with Mr Tub, here," Law told him before releasing him. Sanji continued to cough and wipe his face, struggling for breath. He looked at the other man with terror as he shifted away from the tub, watching him for any sign of rebellion. Luffy wandered in curiously, chewing on the last of their bread.

"Looks like a drowned rat," he observed aloud, forehead furrowed. "Why you doing this again?"

"Because he's misbehaving."

"Ha ha! Oh man, I remembered when they tried to do that to me," Luffy chuckled, eyes rolling up to examine the memory. "They had to stop because I kept stretching my neck up."

Law looked back at him with a frown, hands on his hips. He stepped away from Sanji asking, "Is there anymore shitty food left over?"

"No. I ate it. _Duh_."

With a sullen expression, Law then looked at Sanji as he swept his hair back, sputtering for breath. With a light kick he demanded, "Go cook us something."

Luffy lit up, bread stuffed into his mouth hastily. "Oh, right! You can cook! Cook us some more! Maybe more meat, something different! No vegetables!"

Without waiting for him to answer, Law forced Sanji to his feet and dragged him out from the bathroom, Luffy racing ahead of them. At the sight of the trio, Kid lowered his arm from his face and sat up with confusion. Perona screeched with dismay at the water trails left behind.

"Jesus," Kid muttered, dropping his arm back over his face. "Keep it down, I'm trying to sleep!"


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: I wrote this hastily after being inspired – please don't ask by what XD

Thanks to all you reviewers! Penumbra, sarge1130, HS and Naghi-tan! Hopefully this chapter recaptures a bit of attention – it was very persistent on being written :D

 **: : Ten**

The meal made was light and quick. It was an easy task for Luffy to go out and borrow ingredients from other homes; occupants gave up their supplies when it was apparent that "no" wasn't an easy answer to give. By the time the others snatched up roasted vegetables with baked potatoes and fish, all of them agreed that Sanji's cooking was a little better than what they received from the other cooks. It was acceptable, but not delicious. It didn't taste of the things that they were used to – it was dull and lifeless, but with more ingredients and spices picked up from the homes around them, Sanji had more to give to these picky eaters.

As they were finishing up, the living room lively with comments and complaints, Law caught sight of Sanji squirming uncomfortably nearby; struggling to reign in his physical desires while being treated to the sight of Kid's shirtless upper torso. It made him frustrated to see that Sanji just did not have control over himself, even with Law's interference. If the four of them were forced to overcome theirs in frustrating ways, Law was sure he could do the same for sanji.

He stood from his chair with a hard frown, abandoning what was left of his meal. Sanji paled at the sight of his expression, shoulders cringing once he saw that Law's expression wasn't as thrilled as the others' were.

Law tossed his spoon into the direction of the bathroom, causing the others to give him puzzled looks. He regarded his food with a heavy frown, picking up a sliver of the fish that lacked the abundancy that his time was worth. He was hungry, but he couldn't keep forcing himself to eat this bland dish. "I miss having those filthy meals they used to give us. This is still crap."

"I want nuggets!" Perona grumbled, chomping noisily on her carrots.

"I don't know, Law, this is _really_ good!" Luffy said, giving him a puzzled look. "I think your taste buds are damaged. Fix them, huh?"

"Hey, maybe the library will have cookbooks or something from our time," Kid said, picking at his fish. He burped, scooping up more potatoes from the pot as he glanced at Sanji. "You can cook from that, right?"

It took a few moments for Sanji to answer softly, "I can read some."

At Kid's startled look to this admission, Sanji looked briefly ashamed. Law interrupted, "Do that. Because I can't continue eating like this."

"You're not the boss of me!" Kid snapped at him. "I'm doing this more for me than for any of you! _I'm_ the hungriest!"

"Not uh!" Luffy cried, already eating off Law's plate. "I am!"

" _I_ was going to eat that, give it back! I'm the biggest!"

As they argued, Perona pushing away from the table to eat hers quickly, Law switched Sanji with the spoon and walked away. The blond was fearful of him, already whining low as he kept a safe distance from the tub. Locking the door behind him, Law frowned at the man that trembled violently near the far corner of the room. He looked to the tub, feeling the weight of his dinner in his stomach.

He indicated that Sanji get in, and Sanji was frozen for those moments. Absolute terror registered in his features as Law turned from him, releasing the stopper from the tub and running the faucet. At the sound of movement behind him, he lifted a hand and moved the metal shelf near the wall over the door. Then returned to the water, checking the temperature.

"You stink like shit," Law grumbled. He had been unable to bear the combination of smells of the man while they were in the kitchen, Luffy complaining about it when he came in to supervise. Law remembered that it had been some time before he had found Sanji – he'd probably had plenty of visitors, he imagined, to make that smell unpleasant. "I find it necessary for you to bathe properly."

Cautiously, Sanji watched him. After all that had happened, he felt that this was a trick to get him close so Law could half drown him again. His fear of mistreatment grew as Law found the water satisfactory, flinging his hand about to dry it. He turned to look at Sanji, then pointed at the tub. Seeing his caution, Law stepped away to seat himself on the toilet nearby. After several long moments of apprehension, Sanji approached the tub. He was shaking as he regarded the visible steam that arose from the faucet, and didn't want to turn his back on the man behind him. But his body was warming at the thought that perhaps following his order would be a good thing. Maybe Law would treat him better if he did this.

He fumbled with his clothes as he undressed, kicking out of his boots and socks before clumsily climbing into the tub. He couldn't remember how to use the handheld shower head, crouching low with a struggle to settle the wicked heat of his body. He could feel the man's eyes on him, watching his every move. It didn't help settle his anticipation for something more than just a shower, but it left a strong unease inside of him to know he could be hurt at any moment. Both feelings were battling for domination, and it made clear thinking difficult.

After a few seconds the handheld showerhead was ripped out of his grasp, Law switching the nozzle to a hard stream once he realized that Sanji couldn't do it himself. Sanji cringed and tensed at the potential weapon in Law's hand as he then turned it onto him. The water hit his skin with a painful intensity, causing him to wince as every scratch, bruise and rash caused by injury tingled under the stream's weight. He kept his knees close to him to somehow hide the half erection that betrayed him, hunching over himself as he felt the handheld move over one shoulder then the next.

Law found himself entranced by the other's body. The formation of his shoulders, his shoulder blades, the rigid tension of his spine – all marred by some form of injury that eased his irritation with the basic task. He usually felt indifferent to that sort of thing when it came to the others, but this felt different when it was Sanji. He felt afraid of these new things that made him focus so intensely on the man because it left his thoughts a muddled mess. The color differences of the other man's tan lines, the flatter of light freckles on his back and shoulders, the soft flicker of brown under his arms; all of it went unmissed. He watched dirt dribble away with the water, collecting near the drain. The light of the bathroom gave him nearly every visible aspect of Sanji, and it struck Law just how focused he was on him. Like a book he didn't want to stop reading, or a move he had to master to better his abilities, he wanted to conquer his knowledge of this man. The smells he carried were being washed away but it left Law burning inside because those smells were the result of other men – doing things to Sanji like that one had Law had interrupted. He imagined that they released their fluids on him freely – Sanji didn't have the presence of mind to become bothered by it, so it was up to Law to feel that.

If this were another man, Law suspected he wouldn't feel these sorts of things. But it was this one – whose head was lowered so his hair covered most of his face, whose fingers trembled as they kept tight grip on his knees; who breathed shallowly as the stream moved from side to side down his back. Law propped an elbow at the edge of the tub to hold his own chin aloft as he watched the water stream move over Sanji.

"Soap," he then said curtly, captivated by the water that caused pale skin to glow red. After some hesitation, Sanji lifted his head to look up, not understanding the order. Law directed the spray at the containers near the shower wall before resuming the wash over Sanji's back. One long arm reached for a bottle, his body still tightly coiled. Once he saw the opening, Law had the water moving over Sanji's neck, his upper chest. The sight of water trailing down a stiff collarbone, dripping down his chest to his stomach was mesmerizing. Sanji's body was defined by the press of bone and muscle against his skin, so differently from Law's own.

A male's body had never made Law's react but just the sight of this one made him burn and ache so badly for things he didn't even recognize that he started to understand why these feelings made Sanji want as he did. Law didn't know _what_ he wanted, but his body was telling him it was craving _something_. Touch, sensation, movement – he was driven to respond to something but he wasn't sure where to start.

Cautiously, Sanji looked at him from the corner of his eye, a pile of goo in one hand and the other carefully putting the bottle back. He could sense Law's interest in him – recognized the hazy look of desire in his eyes as they coursed over him, but that tight frown of his confused Sanji. He couldn't think too clearly of this, instinct wanting to placate and evade danger, but another wanted to respond to this. He held the goo carefully in one hand, uneasy with any movement as it might cause the other man to react unfavorably to him.

"Use it," Law told him crankily, directing the stream over one arm. Sanji was a little puzzled by the command and the unmoving form of the other man – was he supposed to wash himself under this close of supervision? He was hesitant to do so because he knew touching himself so casually might evoke an unfavorable response from his body, but he didn't want to displease the other man, either. Clumsily he pressed the goo against his chest, sudsing himself with slow action.

It never crossed Law's mind that he was being inappropriate – he was only focused on Sanji washing himself, his eyes locked in on the way the other man rubbed soap against his skin, drawing attention to the tension on his chest muscles, the way Sanji's fingers flitted over his nipples. He'd stopped moving the shower head, feeling his stomach tighten in response, his fingers clenching tightly. Sanji's hands moved lower to his stomach, running carelessly over slight skin rolls and drawing attention to fresh bruises and scrapes that could have come from Law's boot. Suds drifted down his front to his groin, catching in the soft curls of his pubic hair. Law realized he was staring, that his own skin was burning and he turned his head suddenly. He blinked repeatedly, aware that he was doing something he hated – being monitored by the Marines, hating that they were so intrusive to something that he felt demanded privacy. But they weren't allowed privacy, there. Everything they did was overseen by somebody.

He lowered the shower head to the side of the tub, feeling angry. He had to remind himself that what was normal to them wasn't normal to everyone else. But he felt unwilling to give this man any respectful space – he was drawn to him. His eyes followed him, his mind put away everything that happened between them, and his ears were strained in his direction. He wanted to keep him – like a book he didn't want to return to the library because he wanted to read it again.

But in his mind, if the Marines were no longer there to take away, then he shouldn't have to hold back. If the colony didn't favor the pair, then Law had no fears of them taking Sanji from him. It was the others that he had to be wary of; once they knew he had something he liked, he was sure they'd do something to interfere just to be irritating.

He wiped his mouth, vaguely aware he was salivating. It was embarrassing to recognize. Without any previous experience of these feelings that were in him now, he had no idea of what was "right". Only Corazon's failures with dating.

'I was too nice!'

'I didn't spend enough!'

'I should've been more attentive!'

What was appropriate was elusive to him. But was it proper in this new time with these new settings to be appropriate? When this man could settle for anyone during a full moon?

He recalled Sanji sputtering something about being favored before then – what did that mean? That someone wanted him the way Law wanted him? It still burned him how much he hated the thought of Sanji turning to others for this attention. The thought of someone else touching him, talking to him – he didn't know what the feeling was. He hadn't wanted what others had, no matter how they'd hyped it up, but _this_ felt similar to how they acted when someone had something that looked appealing. He could sort of understand why they'd react as they did. He felt that way now.

He grew aware of Sanji's lack of movement and realized his hands were shaking over his groin. Not touching himself but obviously hesitating to do so with his penis so erect. Waiting for Law to say or do something.

He gave a jerky nod. "Wash," he stammered, surprised at his clumsy response. He repeated himself firmly.

Sanji gave a discomforted sound, his hands moving back up to his knees. He was obviously reluctant to do so because of Law's earlier treatment.

"Touch to clean, not pleasure," Law said tightly. He wiped his face – he felt too hot, sweat gathered at his hairline. Looking at Sanji's clean skin made his stomach flutter and heat to gather in places that made him squirm a little. He had to understand this – had to feel for himself that Sanji's bodily reactions weren't of his control. _He_ couldn't control the way blood pooled to these areas, moving on its own to make his own pants tight and heat to gather under his arms and collar. He flexed his fingers again, looking down at the floor between his boots to breathe slowly.

But what was he supposed to do to satisfy these feelings? What did he _want_?

He looked at Sanji again, seeing his hesitation. He looked extremely troubled, face paled as water continued to run to the drain. Seeing the way it collected and dribbled through the slots drew Law's attention to Sanji's ass. It was rounded and dimpled at the sides, the ridges of his spine pushing at his skin with invitation for Law to touch. Did he want to? He did have the impulse to trace those ridges with his fingers, to feel soft skin and bone.

Impulse took over, and wet skin and feeling of bone felt wonderful under his fingertips. Sanji stiffened at his touch and that caused muscle to tighten under Law's fingers. All of Sanji was so fascinating – Law watched his fingers move over individual bumps, water beading up with the movement, until he reached the soft sensation of hair just above Sanji's ass – the light growth there was pleasing, encouraging Law to linger with a lazy circle of his fingers there.

Sanji moved suddenly away from him, eking a troubled sound. Law realized what he was doing and quickly drew his hand away with a flustered look.

He made to get up and turn away but his own dick was hard and it was uncomfortable, and he turned his face away, dropping the showerhead into the tub to pool his arms at the edge and rest his head there.

"Just wash!" he ordered in a flustered tone, hearing Sanji moving about. Nearly a minute later, Law heard Sanji retrieve the showerhead, water moving with his gestures. With the fresh scent of the soap, he knew Sanji was following through with the order. He was breathing heavily as he did so, and Law couldn't bring himself to look.

He started to understand why Sanji was so insistent as to being unable to control himself. Another feeling slithered up through him, like understanding regret in a consequence he had to learn the hard way back at the bunker. Before he could try and identify it, he felt Sanji leaning over him, water droplets falling over his exposed neck and hair. He tensed at the feeling.

"I can smell it," he heard him whisper, feeling his wet fingers slowly slide over his arms. To either hold or comfort – it was too confusing to differentiate. But the sound of Sanji's voice so close to his ear gave him an unnatural response – he shivered because of the feeling that coursed through his blood that went straight to his dick. Instead of responding violently as he was trained to do when someone touched him, he felt his fingers clench with anticipation.

The sound of running water continued, interrupting the quiet between them. He could hear the sound of others still arguing with each other over the remains of the food. They sounded so far away.

Sanji leaned over him, crouching to stay level with him. Law could hear sanji smelling him – his hair, the exposed skin of his temple. The wet feeling of the blond's nose brushed against that patch of skin, and it caused another tingle. It was such a different sensation that Law felt apprehension in accepting its presence. It was a good feeling – alien because of its rarity. He felt Sanji's fingers in his hair, his scalp reacting with another response that had him shivering again. He focused hard on that spot between his boots – he expected something to follow after that touch – violence, an inpatient shout, his own angry reaction. But it felt good.

Seeing that Law wasn't going to react negatively to him, Sanji's eagerness to get to that strong, inviting scent had his hands moving from Law's arms to crawling over his broad sides. Encouraging with touch to be invited for more closeness, more sensation. Law felt himself freezing because these hands were gentle and yet bold – moving over him with tenderness. His skin reacted hotly just under the layer of his clothes, muscles trembling slightly. It felt difficult to breathe normally – his lungs felt tight while his heart raced with excitement. His body _liked_ the sensation, judging by the growing want for more. His pants felt uncomfortably tight and unbearable.

He sat up quickly, causing Sanji to shrink away from him as he expected Law to react violently in response to his action. Law stared at the man with a frozen expression while his body strummed with expectation. No one told him these feelings were wrong; but they were wrong of Sanji because Sanji let these things control him.

At this point, though, what was the difference between them? He picked up the showerhead as Sanji cringed, waiting for a blow. Law swallowed tightly, forehead furrowed as he rinsed soap suds from the man. His body ached – he wasn't sure what he wanted. When he was done, he turned the water off and awkwardly searched for a towel.

" _Out_ ," he said, his voice raspy. Sanji watched him cautiously before he unfurled himself from the corner of the tub, rising to stand. His hands flitted nervously around his erect penis before covering it with both hands. He waited for Law to give him the towel, but he noticed Law was still. Sanji realized his eyes were on his hands, and he looked oddly flustered.

He could smell the man's arousal and it was strong, heavy and Sanji felt drunk because of it. The man desired him obviously, but it was puzzling how he refused to satisfy it. In a way, Sanji felt Law didn't know what to do – it was in his features, the way he kept looking at him nervously, the way his scent changed. Agitated but aroused.

Stepping out from the tub, Sanji reached for the towel to cover himself but Law did it himself. His hands trembled as they moved the material over Sanji's shoulders, dropped to swipe over his arms and chest. Sanji watched his face suddenly redden, his hands freezing against him as his arms stiffened.

Hopeful, Sanji dropped his hands, reaching up to take the towel from him. He dropped it to press Law's hands against his own skin, which was suddenly hot upon the sensation. Immediate need had him pushing up against him, needing more of it. His body ached fiercely, burning with strength and intensity as he saw his chance. He rubbed up against him as Law dropped his hands and stumbled with Sanji's weight against him, spell broken.

Before he could push away from him, Sanji's hand was rubbing against his own erection and it caused a satisfying feeling that shot through him with a striking freeze that stopped his intentions with a stunned expression. Sanji's hand was just the right amount of pressure and movement that distracted him from reacting violently because it appeased the hot buildup that had started earlier.

With Sanji's naked body against him, hot and moist against his clothes, Law couldn't think. His hand was persistent and crept past the material of his pants for skin to skin contact. It made him utter such a weird sound that he clamped a hand over his mouth in surprise. Fully heated, overcoming his earlier fears as instinct took off and seeing how easy Law had fallen into his hand, Sanji felt his appetite rise up strongly. He became eager to open his pants, dropping to his knees with an enthusiastic sound. Once he freed Law's erection, he engulfed it hungrily with a swallow. Law muffled his surprised cry with both hands, nearly weak knees as Sanji sucked on him. His mouth was hot and wet, noises leaving him as he swallowed his dick again, nearly retching as his gag reflex was hit. His fingers clasped onto Law's pants, drawing them down as his own dick ached for sensation. Abandoning the task, he reached down to stroke himself along with his oral ministrations, smelling the change of agitation and nervousness to pure want and need.

Law struggled to stay quiet, hunching over awkwardly. The other man's tongue swirled and licked as he heard Luffy laugh noisily, Perona shrieking as Kid shouted out with dismay. Something crashed to the ground as someone set to running – they were suddenly in the bedroom, Perona and Luffy yelling at each other as mattress's creaked under weight. They were chasing each other, scrambling over tables, beds, crashing into the closet because the doors gave a shudder unpin impact.

Kid pounded upon the bathroom door, making Law jump. "I gotta piss!"

Law couldn't answer as Sanji swallowed him again, his throat massaging the length of him before he gagged. He made up for it with some attention to the head, his free hand stroking the length of his dick. It all felt so good, heat building up in his balls, tingling with alarming strength. Law could see Sanji stroking himself, hear his heavy breathing as he continued sucking on him. He remembered he had to answer Kid before the man could move the shelf and barge in.

"Occupied!" he managed to get out, his voice strangled.

"You taking a shit?" Kid asked with a puzzled tone. "Damn, don't force it – eat some damn salad! Hurry up! Drop the load! I gotta go!"

"Go outside!" Law shot back, his voice cracking embarrassingly as Sanji's tongue moved over his balls, nose pressed up against his pubes.

"You're going to get hemorrhoids!" Kid warned before hitting the door again.

He knew he was going to come – it was a feeling that made his body tremble, legs weak but he needed more sensation to get there. Sanji seemed to sense this, both hands coming up to his bare ass and forcing his hips to move. Encouraging him to fuck his mouth without restraint. Because he needed to do this, Law did so until the release came so hard that he groaned loudly, emptying his balls into the welcoming movement of Sanji's throat. Sanji made a sound that made it better, the vibration squeezing the length of his sensitive dick. Panting, Law struggled to stand, hands in Sanji's back as his legs went weak. Sanji's mouth was wet and red, his chin glinting with it as he stroked himself off. When he came, Law watched his body tighten and strain, his shoulders and chest turning red. In the silence afterward, both of them catching their breath, they heard Luffy ask Perona if Law were okay.

The rapping on the door was followed with, "Did you poop out an intestine? Are you still alive? _Hello_?"

The irritation law felt wasn't as hot as he felt it would have been if he weren't still riding the waves of the orgasm. But his legs were weak and he needed to sit. He found the toilet and sat heavily, feeling sweat dribbling down his face as he tried to process what had just happened. Puberty had been intense but nothing to this degree – this was actual _sex_ with another person, a sharing of fluids with someone else, someone that had wanted his body for similar satisfaction. It wasn't something he'd imagined doing after all the training and goals they were created for, but he could now understand why Sanji was so needy for it.

He blinked heavy eyelids, feeling a sluggish sort of energy strumming through him. He felt hands on him, looking down to see Sanji crawling on top him, wiping his face.

" _More_ ," he whispered eagerly, reaching between them to touch his dick again. "More, more, more!"

There was pounding on the door, accompanied with impatient kicks. "Wipe front to back and hurry the hell up!" Kid shouted. The door creaked under his strength, the shelf jostled noisily. "The hell? The hell was that – did you block the damn door?"

Knowing Kid would make his way in, Law slowly sat up, dropping Sanji from his lap. He felt sticky and sensitive but amazingly refreshed. He had some trouble stuffing himself back into his underwear while Sanji whined restlessly, sitting on the floor with his hands moving over himself.

Law tossed the towel on him, kicked his dirty clothes to the corner of the room. He shifted the metal shelf aside, snapping, "Control your damn self."

Without anymore warning he opened the door, Kid looking at him with a frown. Kid saw Sanji rising from the floor with a towel, looking oddly disoriented and completely naked. His eyes widened as Kid looked at Law with a start as Law asked Luffy for some of his clothes.

"I have some extra, but he needs to be a fox!" Perona said stubbornly as Luffy looked through the pile on his bed.

"What the hell did you do?" Kid hissed at Law as he reached for him. "What were you doing in there?"

Law brushed him off as he ignored the question. Perona looked up with interest as Luffy found what he was looking for, holding up a shirt he didn't plan on wearing and the pants Perona tried forcing on him earlier. Law took them and tossed them into the bathroom before forcing the door shut.

Despite himself, Kid danced in place anxiously. " _C'mon_! I gotta go!"

"Go outside!" Law snapped at him, moving to the other room with his thoughts scattered in different places. Kid followed after him, causing him severe irritation.

"Pretty suspicious all of a sudden," Kid hissed at him. "Like, _suspect_. You guys in the bathroom all this time, and he's all – "

Law switched him with the rain barrel next to their neighbor's house, the barrel sloshing over at his feet as Kid's voice disappeared abruptly. He struggled to separate thought from feeling as he heard Perona shriek with laughter as Luffy slammed up against something in the bedroom, the mattress creaking moments later. What had just happened felt intensely amazing – it was a wonder he hadn't thought of it, before. But he recalled just how eager those men were to get to the man in heat, and realized why they'd risk Zoro's wrath just to get to him.

With no other thoughts on the matter, he pushed up from the couch and heard Kid reenter the house with a satisfied sigh, fixing his pants. By this time Sanji was dressed, and Luffy was talking to him from the bathroom doorway – did that kid ever just sit down? – and whatever he was saying made Law feel threatened. He didn't feel tired, and from what he saw, Sanji wasn't sleepy in anyway, so Law glanced at the clock hanging from the wall nearby.

"You're so weird all of a sudden," Kid said as he sunk down onto the couch, arms spread over the back. He watched as Law disappeared into the kitchen, the clunking sound of items on shelves being moved about. " _Now_ what are you doing?"

"Going out," Law told him testily. "Quit _watching_ me."

"You're like one of those hardcore villains up to no good in the movies," Kid complained. "Dressed like one, too. I feel like if we take our eyes off you, you're going to do something stupid against our backs."

"I wouldn't," Law denied as he found a bag under the sink, flapping it about to rattle the dust from the material. After he filled it with dried food and some useful utensils, he added, "I'd much rather look you in the face as I do something."

"I _know_! That's what makes you so weird! Because you're not looking me in the face!"

"I'm not tired. We're going to the base."

Kid sat up to give him a look, nose wrinkled. "Figures you'd want to get obsessed with something like that," he muttered. "I know you wanna jump ahead and have something over me, and I'm warning you now – if it's something we're all supposed to know, you _better_ bring it back."

Ignoring him, Law headed into the bedroom, snatching off blankets from his bed and gathering more things. Perona and Luffy watched him with curious expressions, but since they overhead their conversation moments earlier, they said nothing. They weren't interested in his plans as much as they were with their own.

Packing these things tightly, already weathered with outdoor exclusions courtesy of their training, Law pulled on the cloak Perona had made for him.

"The guards are going to get mad at you, again," Perona said, eyeing her needle thoughtfully. "If you continue to upset them, they're going to retaliate."

"You're not weaklings," Law told her peevishly. "I could care less about this colony and their order."

"You're such a rebel!" Luffy yelled, laughing.

'Maybe not against _us_ ," Perona pointed out, gesturing with her lips towards Sanji.

Understanding that, Law did give enough pause to acknowledge her warning. The pair of them left, leaving the trio in hard silence. After a few minutes, Kid entered the room with a puzzled expression.

"That guy is up to something, and I don't like it," Kid said. "We're not used to this place, yet. If he fucks it up for all of us, it's going to hurt."

Luffy shrugged a shoulder. "I don't see what the big deal is. I don't care where we live or what we do, as long as there's no one around telling us how or what."

"I don't really care, either," Perona confessed, threading the needle. "But what I do care is how possessive he's being over that fox. My womanly senses are jingling! Jingle jingle jingle!"

"That's just weird because that guy always creeped me out," Kid said, unable to think of Perona's suggestion. "Like, he always struck me as the type to keep his psychotic tendencies hidden before anyone can see them. You saw the way he was with the Marines – it's a serious consideration that he could stab us just to get an advantage ahead of us."

"I don't think so," Perona said lightly. "He's not like us, _yeah_ , but he wouldn't do away with anything that's useful to him. If we're useful, he will use us, but you're stupid if you fall for it."

Kid scowled at her. She was right, of course, as Law wasn't as obvious as they were. But he was manipulative and conniving, and Sengokou had always been uncomfortable with the way the man's mind worked. While he understood that Law found Zoro and Sanji useful, Kid was a little bothered by what he'd seen in the bathroom. By how he saw Law treat Sanji – like they would with something they liked, he was being secretive and clinging to something he considered valuable. It seemed like Law had taken in a pet and was training it to be obedient only to him.

"So, if he took Zoro apart," Kid said slowly, "then he's still out there somewhere, right? Because he didn't come back."

"He would, too," Luffy said seriously. "Because they're best friends and they don't separate very often. You can tell. So if he didn't come back, I bet he can't."

Standing there for a few moments, Kid scowled at the floor. Perona looked at him cautiously, pausing in running the needle through the material she clasped in her fingers.

"Well…I'm not tired anymore," he muttered. To Luffy he asked, "Wanna go look for him?"

"WHOOO! Let's!"

" _Why_?" Perona asked skeptically. "Like, didn't you go out there to beat him up, or whatever, to prove how big your dick is?"

Kid reddened, clashing with his hair. "NOT LIKE THAT!"

"I meant as a power comparison, idiot. Like I'd want _you_ in any of my gay fantasies," she said haughtily. "Your little hotdog isn't cute at all!"

" _You have a hotdog_?" Luffy asked Kid hungrily, eyes widening with glee.

"SHUT UP!" Kid bellowed at Perona before stalking back into the other room, looking for his jacket. Remembering he'd lost it somewhere in the streets, he came back, nearly walking over Luffy as the boy made to scramble after him. "I need another shirt!"

"In the closet!"

After the pair left, Perona huffed as she looked down at the material in her lap. Thinking about things, her eyes rolled up to the ceiling. She couldn't stop herself from smirking as her mind conjured various pleasing images.

: :

The guards were very upset to find the pair walking up the main street towards the gates, clearly agitated by their earlier confrontation with Law. Kid could see them looking at them with apprehension, pulled away from the gate to confront them. He couldn't teleport them out of there, but height wasn't an issue for Luffy and Kid had no problem with force. So the heavy metal gates weren't something to force them back.

Before anything could be said, a hard push from the side had him stumbling into Luffy, the teen tripping with a startled sound. Kid looked over to see a woman glaring up at him, her presence overwhelming with intensity. She looked heavily cloaked, wearing clothes that were unlike the other women – she still had a backpack over her shoulders, which drew some interest.

"Did you do it?" she demanded.

"Do _what_?" Kid protested, standing strong in front of her as the guards cautiously set their weapons.

"Take Zoro apart! Which one of you did it? You knew it was a death sentence out there! Leaving him to rot like that! None of you should have been allowed inside these walls!"

"Don't yell at me! I didn't do it! We were just going to go out there and find him! The other guy did it, he has those crazy powers!"

"Viola!" one of the guards called out. "Back to your place, lady."

"Then where is he?" Viola demanded, ignoring the man. " _Where is he_? He can put him back together, can't he?"

" _Yeah_ \- ! Like, we were just going to get him, so – and he should be back whenever, he just left!"

"He's going back to the base, he said he'd be back," Luffy tried to assure her, brushing off his jacket.

"None of you should have come here," Viola hissed at them, turning away. "You're ruining things for them, and for the rest of us!"

"Hey, lady, that's just rude! We were prisoners, too!" Kid exclaimed. "Our first taste of freedom turns into something like this? We didn't expect to wake up to find our world turned into this sort of thing! Plus, it ain't like we're trying to kill those guys – they're cool!"

" _Monster_!" she snapped over her shoulder, Kid feeling that word in his heart. He gave her an offended look, then strode after her to grab her arm. Alarm rose up in the guards, causing Luffy to warn them of pointing guns at him.

"Then where is he? Zoro?" he demanded of her, holding tightly as she struggle to wrench her arm away. "We'll go get him. Make it easier on us, we don't know where to look."

"He's already here!" she snapped at him. "But it's useless saving him if you can't put him back together!"

"If we did, he'd probably go apeshit here, too! His buddy isn't here!"

Tense, Viola considered this before Kid released her. But she said nothing as she continued striding away, Kid watching her go with a frustrated look. He shrugged, noticing the cold.

"What _ever_ ," he muttered. "Let's go back. If he's here, then there ain't anything we can do for him, then. Not until that bastard comes back."

"Then how about we go after _them_? They can't be that far away!" Luffy protested, looking unhappy with a missed adventure.

Kid considered it, but he hadn't even thought of packing for a trip properly. The intensity of the night made him a little wary; he wasn't familiar with the area, they didn't know how to hunt, and he sure as hell couldn't survive on berries. Law had done the right thing by taking off with one of the only ones that knew how to survive outside the walls, but it was also suspicious. He couldn't help but feel that Law was up to no good, and he knew the trio wasn't in the man's considerations. They could use Ussop, but Ussop didn't seem as if he had any abilities like the other two.

If Law didn't come back by tomorrow, then they would just have to take Zoro to him.

"No," he said. "We'll wait."

Luffy watched him head back the way they'd come, and frowned. He looked over his shoulder to the wall, the guards still watching him apprehensively, and figured he could catch up to the others. But what if he got lost? He'd surely starve out there in the streets by the time he made his way back, and he didn't feel like experiencing that loss. He was aware that the older pair were having some sort of discord, and he should've paid more attention to it.

With heavy reluctance, he walked away.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I listened to "Level Plaguing Field" by Michael Giacchino and "Finish It" by Clint Mansell for these chapters.**

 **Penumbra: haha! That rule has been broken indefinitely XD Boys have it convenient – they can go anywhere!**

 **Naghi-Tan: More to come, these dirty, sinning creatures. It's going to be one of THOSE fics XD**

 **: : Eleven**

It was a daunting task to move through the abandoned city at night, using the full moon's light to walk long abandoned streets to the freeway they'd used on their way over. The calls of night animals rang out in the unsettling quiet, and the freezing temperatures weren't that comfortable, either. But it was easy to continue moving and not give attention to the things that skittered off into the shadows, challenging the bigger things that barked at them from narrow alleyways. Night birds called out from high above them, his companion tensely quiet as he kept close to barriers and walls, giving the birds a disadvantage. While cautious, Law felt that the only predator out on the street was him. His mind was occupied with what he could find back at the base, trying to think of all the little details that he could've missed after awakening.

It had been a normal day – Kid's tantrum had been disruptive, and Law remembered standing off to the side with a sullen attitude. He'd burned down the library the day before, and he'd just emerged from solitary to join in with the others when Kid grew enraged at their instructor. Kid was temperamental in the sense that if he felt sensitive about a subject, he'd go overboard with it. That sort of thing was both good and bad – good because it provided a good distraction from the others, and bad because Kid should pick his battles wisely. Being laughed at was a sensitive subject for Kid.

When all of them were apprehended with sea-stone shackles, they'd complained noisily about Kid. Kid was proving a worthy weapon, already destroying the living room with his strength and abilities, the Marines moving hastily to subdue him. Law remembered standing in line with Perona and Luffy when Sengokou appeared from the office hallway – the one leading away from the main entrance. All of them had to face the wall – if given a chance, Law could teleport himself out of the bunker with just that visual, so they made sure he couldn't see it.

'Send them to the pods!' he remembered Sengokou order, a different tone to his voice than his normal. It caused Law to look at him, seeing the tension in his features before a Marine forced him to look back at the wall with an elbow to the temple. As his temper simmered, Law heard Sengokou disregarding Kid's fit, ordering for all of them to be fitted into their body suits. Law heard Corazon ask clumsily, 'For containment purposes?'

Sengokou had snapped at him for questioning him, but the trio were ushered off to follow through. As they were taken to the medical ward, where others were hastily preparing the suits, Law had seen that Sengokou was marching alongside them. The sweat at his temple betrayed the look on his face – Perona had been wearing a thick sweater to make up for the AC.

"Have you lost control?" Law had asked Sengokou. "Or found a new way to forget we're humans?"

"Enough of that, now," Sengokou said. "You'll know when the others do why this is necessary."

"I want my books," Law had said stubbornly. "It's not that hard of a request. Or are those considered dangerous as well?"

"You've lost your book privileges with your little stunt yesterday," Sengokou had snapped. "What's the point of having something if you're just going to destroy it?"

"Is that the same question you ask yourself before falling asleep at night?" Law challenged, Perona shrieking with dismay as she was forced to disrobe in front of all of them to get into the suit.

"My underwear isn't matching today!" she'd roared. "I don't look cute!"

"I don't want to wear that!" Luffy had complained. "My legs are going to sweat and I'm going to feel stuffy!"

"I understand if you feel you're smart enough to start dissecting someone upon our consideration," Sengokou said tightly, "but there are limits to what we are willing to provide! Yes, it's fascinating that you want to learn more about your role with your particular abilities, but we will not give you something that we feel you'll also use against us."

"You raised us as human _weapons_ , and now you feel wary about what we could do? You make guns but also rules on how one can use them?"

"I don't trust _you_ ," Sengokou answered low, finally looking at him. "And that's the end of it."

"So, I learn for myself?" Law asked as another challenge. "Rather than provide me with the materials I requested, you'd rather I learn for myself - ?"

"You'll be given nothing!" Sengokou snapped at him impatiently. "And if you even choose to use them on one of us, the consequences of your actions will be severe! A smart weapon can still malfunction if given an improper prompt, and I fear _your_ malfunction will come at an inappropriate time for the rest of us."

Frustration, anger and pent-up distrust built up in Law at that moment – because he couldn't use his hands, he used spit to get his feelings across. Sengokou reacted with a startled stumble backward, the guards suddenly aware of what was happening. Law found himself roughly shoved to his knees, kicked in the chest to knock the breath from him as Luffy and Perona were moved away. Breathing harshly, Law was angrier at himself for losing control of himself than the situation.

"If there is a malfunction, it's your fault!" he insisted hotly. "You can't get mad at your designs if _you_ were the one to design it!"

Sengokou wiped his face with a towel handed to him, ordering tightly, "Make sure he doesn't do that again."

Once fitted with the hood, Law seethed hotly underneath it. He couldn't see, and the hood gave him enough to breathe, but it was suffocating and frustrating because reading the expressions of those around him would give him an idea of what they _weren't_ telling them as they were being outfitted for the pods. They'd used them before – as drills, punishment, learning that these containment units would hide them from the world until the world needed them.

"You're going to sleep! Just for an hour or two. Don't worry about the details, just know we're taking care of you," he heard Sengokou order, Perona still complaining and Luffy reluctantly slithering into his suit with noisy action. Law felt his own clothes were being cut off to give them the least amount of trouble, and while he lost the sense of modesty long ago, he still felt vulnerable as he was roughly manipulated into his. They could hear Kid being forced into the ward, still hollering, the sound of Marines holding him down to do the same to him causing much clatter and distraction. Sengokou was speaking low to someone out of Law's hearing range, but he did hear the man mutter about being free of them.

"They should've never let us do this in the first place," was one of the things that caught Law's attention. "What a waste."

Law wasn't sure what he meant by that, but he felt like a waste. If they ever were to be released, they wouldn't fit into society. But it didn't make sense to get rid of them now, not when they'd progressed so far. It hurt when the zipper to his suit caught onto his flesh, but he ground his teeth to bear the pain as Perona shrieked about having her hair caught.

"Load them up, we'll just have to wait it out," Sengokou had said before the entourage he was with caused the Marines to move around them to let them out of the ward. Law had stiffened at that point, hearing both Perona and Luffy cry out with shock and complaints moments before he felt the awful jab of something sharp thrust against his neck - the telltale prick of a tranquilizer shooting through his blood made the feel of defeat even heavier. The others' words began to slur and his thoughts grew sluggish as they unwillingly became more compliant with the Marines' demands.

"It's just a nap for a couple of hours. Precautions will be taken once you're under," Law heard Corazon whisper to him while passing by. Law imagined that he would've had to crouch very low to do so, considering his position on the ground.

When they were loaded into the pods, Law was sure that he'd heard Luffy complaining about his shackles. Kid was still furious and his pod was shut first as a result, the hissing sound of the sleeping gas filling the tank. Law knew that they would have to breathe in this gas before the pod filled with oxygenated liquid to stay under, and that made him uncomfortable. Breathing in liquid to sleep for an amount of time, with no real guarantee of waking up.

But they had – and the mystery of Sengokou's actions still persisted, along with Corazon's. Law needed to find out _why_.

It took hours to reach the bunker – he simply wasn't used to the conditioning that Sanji was, and it was a mental and physical struggle to try and match the other's strides. He could hear the blond struggling himself – it made Law feel good to know that he was just as strong as him; like he'd found a suitable subject that supported him, rather than fight or mislead him like the Marines did. True, Sanji was only doing it because Law forced him but he didn't cause trouble or protest; just stayed as much aware of his surroundings as he could in his state. Law felt satisfaction with that. It felt different for someone else to be taking his orders after taking orders much of his life in the bunker.

The bunker was cold, eerily dark – almost too dark for their flashlights and lanterns to ease. They'd reached the open door in the ground, the stairs running down in a steep angle. He had a little fear of the darkness – the bunker was always lit, and while he told himself he shouldn't fear anybody or anything, there was something about the unforgiving shadows ahead of him that made him hesitant to barge in. He hoped there was still power running to the living quarters. As they made their way down with Sanji leading the way, he finally noticed that Sanji's movements were growing clumsy and his steps looser. When they touched down onto the landing, Sanji lowered the lantern to his side and suddenly sat down on the bottom step.

"'m right tired," Law heard him mumble. The sun was due to rise, soon and he remembered that he hadn't seen Sanji eat anything. He took the lantern from him, turning toward the main door leading into the bunker. Without saying anything, he grabbed his arm and forced him to his feet to continue walking with him.

It was almost disheartening to see the bunker in full black. Nothing responded once they crossed the threshold. The air felt thin and limited, but the open door allowed in a fresh breath with the night allowed in with their venturing. If they were still trapped here, the lack of oxygen would have killed them slowly. The intense silence there could drive anyone mad, he reasoned. The darkness was so intense that the light he held was barely enough to cast anything around them. Though he knew the place by heart, the mess Kid had left behind was enough to cause a painful obstacle course.

Because the doors no longer responded to any electronic reasoning, he propped it open with the loveseat. The moonlight that barely reached the stairway gave him no comfort – but he hoped the sun could make its way through the heavy smoke to give them some light in the morning. He figured he'd start looking in the main offices where they'd exited, turning away from the door and finding Sanji sprawled over the couch cushions, hard asleep.

Frowning, Law used his boot to nudge him. He wasn't about to go looking in the intense darkness on his own. When Sanji didn't respond, he gave a harder kick. The man was _out_ , sleeping so intensely that he didn't even react to the action. Law stood there in the heavy silence, hearing only the sound of Sanji's breathing in the empty bunker. Where there had always been sounds – voices of the Marines, the other three, the hum of electronics, the thick stillness seemingly made it possible for Law to hear his own thoughts out loud.

Despite his earlier strengths on feeling like an untouchable subject in this time and place amongst mutated animals and threats of starvation and thirst, the darkness truly felt like a different sort of enemy. One that he didn't feel comfortable tackling.

With reluctance he set the lantern down. He could see his breath as he breathed, glancing at Sanji as he slept, and considered the distance to his room. He ventured over in that direction with his flashlight and examined the blankets. They were fine, if not falling apart in some sections. With some reluctance, he ventured into Perona's room and gathered her blankets from her bed. Large sections fell upon his action, but there was enough remaining to take to his room. He unrolled the ones he'd taken from the house in the colony and felt satisfied with the makeup. Venturing under the blankets, he found it was warm if he kept his cloak wrapped tightly around him. He set the flashlight onto the nightstand to face up, illuminating the ceiling. Laying there, he could hear a faint sound of wind rattling something metallic in the distance. The longer he laid there, the more things he thought of that he could convince himself he was hearing. It was silly to admit that the dark left him uncertain – _not scared_ , he wanted to stress to himself. He denied that aspect.

He could hear Sanji's breathing coming from the main room and attuned himself to the sound. He thought of what happened in the bathroom and felt uncomfortable. But the thrill of that moment wasn't easy to deny. His body remembered that aspect, and he shifted about uncomfortably as the rush of blood made it impossible to ignore. Gritting his teeth, he laid there to focus on his mission and not on pleasures of the flesh. It made him regret bypassing entire sections in the books he'd read because the subject hadn't interested him. _Why bother thinking about something that wouldn't happen_? he'd reasoned back then. Now if he had, he would have been better prepared to handle what had happened.

Because now that he had a taste of it, he wanted more of it. More of that, more of this – whatever it consisted of to get pleasure. It had to be different with a man than the traditional approach with a woman – maybe this was all men did to please each other. He wasn't tired – with a grunt of displeasure to giving in on himself, he left the warmth of his nest and headed back into the living room. He couldn't even rouse the man into standing – Law figured after the full moon's two nights, Sanji's hyperactivity had finally caught up to him. He made to drop him back onto the couch when he realized how cold his skin was to his touch.

Reluctantly, Law switched the man with the pillow on his bed. He retrieved the pillow and lantern, and headed back there, having to shift and push Sanji against the wall with irritated muttering. Once he set the lantern down to replace it with the flashlight and was under the blankets, he pulled his cloak around himself and sighed heavily, the sound echoing out into the chambers. It was so loud of a sound that he stopped it short. It made his skin crawl to hear the echo.

He thought of Perona's 'babies' just down the training hall. They were only alive when she activated them, but they were actually a scary bunch to consider. After all, some had some of their faces missing, limbs broken, and they uttered creepy chittering noises.

Law recognized he was scaring himself, and drew his cloak hood over his head to somehow block some of the lantern's light. He inwardly scoffed at himself for his racing heart and strained hearing, suddenly more aware of Perona's ghosts than ever.

But then if people had died with the bombing, what if their ghosts were wandering the halls upstairs? What would he do if he heard them? Several minutes passed by, and something thumped noisily in the distance. The sound carried so intensely without any recognizable identification, but it caused Law's heart to jump in his chest and he sat up quickly to look at the door. He used his powers to shut it, and the light in the room became brighter because of it. Sanji continued to sleep and it irritated Law that he could do so when _he_ was the one still up and hearing these odd things.

Some shuffling ended up with Sanji in front of him – so the monsters could get him first, allowing Law a chance to escape – and he tried to relax once more. He stared up at the flickering shadows on the ceiling while the man's breathing next to him continued without interruption. Because his mind continued to race with thoughts of unknown and known creatures creeping up to his room door in the immense darkness, Law turned his attention to Sanji. Looking at him calmed him. He admired the light freckles over his nose and on his cheeks, the flutter of his lashes over the heavy dark shadows under his eyes. When he had his dick in his mouth, his lips were curled neatly, pinkish against his skin.

Law felt his heart jump for another reason, and he felt his face heat with a flush. He reached out and gently ran his finger over those lashes, the feathery touch prickling his skin. He combed Sanji's hair from his face to expose both eyebrows, noting a faint tan line from that style. He traced the shadows under his cheekbones, the sharp lines of his jawbone. Settling in closer to him, Law could touch all of his unprotected skin without worry, but he watched the man's face cautiously as he explored the length of his throat, the exposure of his collarbone. He squished his face between his hands, finding that his skin warmed his palms better than the blankets or cloak did. Then he settled back just to watch him, wondering if it were true that Sanji lost his memory of this event when he was more lucid. If he did, would he remember what happened between them? Law wasn't sure how to feel if Sanji forgot what they did.

As he was brushing his hair back along his scalp, he felt the cold on Sanji's ears. He covered that with his hand, sure it would help. He shifted within the blankets to get comfortable, reaching out to make sure Sanji had his share, too. He was still cold, and Law uncomfortably pulled him closer against him. It was similar to hugging a pillow or clasping onto extra blanket material, only this was warmer, sharper and heavier than that. But it felt nice.

It gave him a warm feeling that felt more welcomed than the extra blankets. Once again, he positioned his arm so that he could keep Sanji's ear covered from the cold. He finally felt tired once he was in a comfortable side position, and closed his eyes to sleep.

He woke up at the feel of movement against him, his entire body tensing as he expected the lights to come on and Marines to come through the door for a rude awakening. But once he realized it was Sanji moving restlessly against him – in fox form – he froze. The furry animal was grunting as it sought a comfortable spot, cold fur brushing against his face as he sluggishly nosed under Law's neck and flopped against him, only to rise and sniff at him with anxious squeaks. Law saw that the door was still closed, but the fox was a rude awakening for him. Fur caught on his lip made him sputter, the fox pulling away from him to look at him with bleary eyes. Its ears twitched before its snout hit him in the chin, sniffing and squeaking with distress as light nips caused Law to jerk his head away. It paced away from him to sit curled up at the edge of the bed before returning to him with a low whine.

Law lifted his head to see what was wrong with it – with _Sanji_ – and the fox barked noisily at him before curling up on the bed with more whining.

Law remembered seeing the animal curling up on Zoro's lap that other night – he supposed Sanji was looking for his partner. Feeling rejected, he turned his back to the animal, hearing it whine as it stood up on all fours once more.

"He's back at the colony, shut up," he muttered, feeling annoyed that the fox would prefer its werewolf partner compared to him.

He felt the animal stiffen as it listened to him – _not 'it', it was Sanji_ – then dart up onto his arm to balance himself there. Law felt his cold snout pressed against his ear and it jolted him with surprise, sitting up to whap at his ear as unwelcome shivers went through him. The fox leapt away from him to run to the edge of the bed, look at him, then race back to nip at his arms. Sanji then leapt off the bed, racing in circles around the room with high pitched parking and whining before leaping back up and slamming into Law's side. He then raced off at a high rate of speed to run around the room again, shuffling underneath the bed, and in and out of the closet. He repeated this several times, Law watching with bewilderment before the fox leapt onto the bed for a final time, panting.

He flopped over onto his side, ribs heaving as his tail wagged noisily against the blankets.

"What is _wrong_ with you?" Law questioned, perplexed to his behavior. More anxious sounds erupted from the fox, and its high pitched quality made him wince. Once again on his feet, the fox slammed into him again before racing up onto his shoulders to nip at his hair. Sure that he was being attacked, Law slapped at him. The fox was too fast for the contact, racing off the bed and running in wild circles around the room.

Panting, the fox was once again on the bed, sitting primly before erupting in near screams that rang within the walls of Law's room. Law snatched the pillow and threw it at him, the fox ducking underneath it to race in circles around the bed. He leapt off and disappeared into the closet, barking and howling in such a way that Law made to slam the door shut when the fox raced out and was back in the bed, sliding into the spot he'd just vacated. He rolled about as Law looked at him with absolute confusion. Sighing heavily, Sanji rested there, tail flopping against the blankets. Cautiously Law returned to the bed, Sanji's teeth suddenly bared scarily towards him. He didn't want to lose the other man's company so Law disregarded the impulse to teleport the fox out from the room so he could escape, but he didn't want to get bit, either. Whatever Sanji's problem was, he wasn't communicating it properly. With a grumble, he snatched the blankets from Sanji's side, the fox still barking and snapping at the material like Law was playing with him, and made his bed on the floor.

Just as he grew comfortable with his head pillowed on his arms, he looked up to see the fox hanging over the edge of the bed, looking down at him with what looked like a grin. Law slapped at him, the fox's teeth snapping at him before racing in circles around the mattress.

Utterly bewildered, Law pressed his back up against the mattress and tried to go back to sleep again. In what felt like hours later, he felt like he was being strangled – the fox had left the comfort of the warm bed and sprawled itself over his shoulder and neck, its heavy tail resting over his face. He sputtered noisily as he sat up, the fox rolling away from him with a startled squeak. Coughing, Law wiped fur from his face and neck, feeling it stick to sweat accumulated there from the fox's position. The animal yawned noisily, dangerous teeth bared for a moment then looked up at him sleepily.

"Are you going to change back?" he asked, the fox blinking long lashes at him for several moments before flopping back onto the carpet, intending on getting comfortable.

Utterly annoyed with how his evening ended and his morning began, Law picked him up and grabbed the running lantern. Walking out of his room, he was treated to sunlight streaming in from the entrance way, providing some light to the bunker but not enough. It wasn't as bone chilling dark and cold as it was last night; it was easier to move around. He made to move towards the medical ward when the fox bit him, squealing noisily as it leapt from his hand and ran back into his room. Law nursed the wound with a hiss, noting that it didn't break his skin but left a tingling pinch. He looked back into his room to see Sanji pulling his clothes off the bed, uttering muffled noises that sounded indignant. Law understood what he was doing, yawning as the fox did what he could to drag the rest of his clothes out from the room.

"You have to ask me yourself," Law told him firmly. "So change back."

The fox barked at him, sitting dog style on the floor as his ears flattened and his tail flapped against the carpet. He seemed to give Law a dirty look, baring teeth briefly before getting up to continue dragging his clothes towards the man.

Law watched the struggle, feeling charmed by the animal's efforts. The indignant noises he made was muffled by the material in his mouth, and his body was too small to properly pull all of it, so it was a comical struggle. He was sure he was looking at the scene with a dopey expression, so he looked away with a huff and wiped his face again. He was covered in fur – black wasn't appropriate when blond fox fur stuck to everything. He didn't look so menacing.

The fox dropped his clothes at Law's feet before looking up at him with his tail perked. When Law reached down to grab them with a grumble, the fox darted around his feet so tightly that Law tripped over his own boots just trying to avoid stepping on him. He stuffed Sanji's clothes into his backpack, the fox doing everything it could to not make things easy. He kept darting up and off the bed, racing in circles around the room and leaping into the backpack before leaping out again. When Law finally straightened up to pull the backpack on, the fox raced out from the room and barked, filling the bunker with its high pitched sound. Law stood outside of his room to see the animal racing with neck break speed around the clutter, not even pausing to save himself as a mountain of books slipped out from under its weight. He merely picked himself back up and darted down the dark hall ahead of Law, barking the entire way.

Still perplexed to this behavior, Law slowly began moving, hearing his stomach grumble as he did so. From the darkness the fox darted right at him and slammed up with a spectacular leap against his stomach. He stumbled awkwardly before catching himself, Sanji darting off with more sharp barking. Wondering why the man just didn't change back but still welcome to having company, Law headed through the medical ward to the door leading up to the offices above.

Up there, he noted the Exit they had taken to get out. He saw another door leading from the one where the stairway was located, and used the key to open it. When he remembered that the power was out, he sighed heavily before the fox made his presence known, leaping atop of the desk near the security windows. Law looked at him before seeing the block map located there just underneath the window. Sending papers flying, Sanji darted off the table and ran to the open door nearby. Law reached out and studied the map – beyond the door that was denying him was a short hallway with a conference room, some offices, restrooms and a cafeteria. Pausing in front of the door, he exhaled slowly. It would be a gamble to teleport somewhere he couldn't see, but if Sengokou wasn't expecting his escape and Corazon had, he had to trust that there wasn't a booby trap of some kind on the other side.

He called Sanji to him, the fox taking a few seconds to run the length of the hallway back to him. It was awkward to speak to an animal, but Law said, "We have to teleport to the other side."

Understanding him, Sanji leapt up so Law could catch him, and it felt weird holding the animal. Just last night he was perving on the man's body, so feeling this one in his hand – heaving sides caused by exertion and warm fur – made his skin tingle. He looked at the map again, focusing on the conference room. He imagined there to be chairs around a long table, similar to those that were once in the library. Long backs with adjustable seats and comfortable cushions. With that in mind, he made the transition. Once the dark room made its cold presence known, he opened his eyes with relief on the right guess.

He set Sanji down and lifted the lantern to place it on the table.

Stilling, he realized he was looking at three skeletons in haphazard position against the table.

Their uniforms were stained heavily from the neck down, and judging by the color, Law had to assume that it was blood rather than dust. Sanji leapt onto the table, sniffing noisily up and down the length of it as Law took the steps necessary to the closest skeleton. The tag on the shoulder read 'Sengokou'. He froze, observing the sunken hat against the chair and skull, finding the stains on the material disturbing. The man had been shot from the side, so Law looked to the skeleton sitting two chairs down from him. Sanji stepped over the gun there to sniff at the hand resting beside it, one finger still trapped within the trigger guard. Crossing over to it, Law reached out and investigated the name tag – 'Donquixote'. He froze, unable to imagine Corazon shooting his superior for any reason. The other skeleton was in the same condition as Sengokou's – but it held evidence of a different sort of splatter, gun dropped between skeleton and table, caught in a downside position against its lap. Tense, Law studied the scene. What had happened for these three men to die in such a manner? His mind raced back to that day, struggling to catch any tension between the men while they were outfitting the group for the pods. But the only thing that stood out was Corazon questioning Sengokou at that time.

 _It didn't make sense_.

When did Corazon go back to apply those changes they'd found to emerge from the containment room before coming back here to shoot Sengokou? What was the true event that motivated these men into leaving the scene so permanently? Was it all before the bombing, when they realized there was no escape?

Scratching caught his attention, seeing Sanji nosing and digging at a set of papers in front of Corazon. Once he realized they were there, too focused on the men to have seen them in the first place, Law caught sight of the writing there.

'They found out,' one line read. 'Nothing more for us to do. Hide the evidence. Hit us first. No return – mission a failure. Unusable. Unstable. No guarantee to commands. Unable to return as productive - '

It wasn't directed to anyone – it was just Corazon taking notes as someone spoke. Probably as a way to cope with the situation. Law shuffled through the papers – the words were written on the back of emergency memos, alerting base personnel to missile launch and expected hit times. Nothing stood out as to what caused this distress.

He was positive the four of them could have stopped the direct hit – Kid could grab hold of the metal, Law could cut it apart in mid-air. Why didn't they consider using them to stop it?

He looked back at the notes Corazon had taken. 'Unusable. Unstable.' Most likely the discussion was about them – they were a failure to them. But he wondered _why_ – if they had known, they would have used all their power to stop the hit.

He supposed it was the 'after' that made the higher-ups worry. He sunk down into the chair next to Corazon, unsure of what to feel or think. So they were expected to die in those pods – that was Sengokou's orders. But if the missile was supposed to hit so suddenly in the midst of that turmoil, then how did Corazon find the time to fix their situation so that it would help them if they should escape?

He looked back at the paper. 'They found out,' he read over again. _Who_ found out? Their enemies? Was that why they were hit first?

 _What a waste_ , he heard Sengokou's voice interrupt his thoughts, just as strong as it was that day. Of course it was a waste – they secluded the four of them inside of the bunker as children and raised them as weapons; to do away with them because they were 'unstable' made him feel all the negative things he could feel with just that one word. He tossed the papers away from him and hung his head between his hands, fingers tense in his hair.

Not only did they not die, they were displaced in time. Reawakened two hundred years later without any way back, unused to society and civilian lifestyles; to normal relationships and basic human interaction. In a way, he felt angry at Corazon for even trying – that clumsy man had made a muck of the situation by saving them.

 _Now what were they supposed to do_?

He felt a wet, rough tongue on his forehead, Sanji leaning over to lap at his face with anxious action. Law jerked his head up to escape that attention, the fox following him with light whining as he looked up at him with seemingly worried eyes. Law remembered he wasn't alone, that he was showing his emotions to somebody else and quickly rearranged his features into a scowl. He shoved the fox off the table with abrupt movement, irritated with his presence. Sitting there for some seconds, he glared the length of the surface to the chair at the end, his blood rushing to his head with a surge of frustrated anger.

The fox returned to continue whining, looking at him with his ears flattened. Looking at him again, Law thought about the colony. They'd already upset their dictator with his actions – already made enemies with the colonists with their presence. It was comforting to think that they were still the strongest beings present – but what was the point of having that strength if it was only gained for one thing?

The fox's tail wagged with worry, brushing against the table as he continued to regard Law with concern. In the apprehensive silence of the conference room, the skeletons' presence only part of the tension, Law wasn't sure where to go from here. The fox ventured near him, crawling low on his belly in a show of passive action, tail moving from side to side with frantic movement. Law looked at him again, Sanji settling on the table with his back legs splayed out and his front paws in front of him, ears flattening once he realized he had Law's attention again.

"You're stuck with us," Law said thickly. Thinking about the words Corazon left behind, he added bitterly, "And it's probably not a good thing."


	12. Chapter 12

**Naghi-Tan: Mine can't either XD I've seen that show – but it's been awhile! I'd have to catch up. When I watch vids on Youtube, they're little rascally *noisy creatures, so I hope I've captured some of their traits while writing Sanji here. That particular question should be answered, soon. :D Of course, it won't last very long…**

 **: : Chapter Twelve**

The building that held the library and archives was dome-shaped, half in the ground as part of a former mall basement. Upon walking in, Luffy immediately took off to explore the place while Kid gave the wall to ceiling shelves a disinterested glance, certain that Law would be more interested in it than he was. He wasn't that impressed with the collection Robin had made with relics set into wide glass cases – there was a rusted Toyota Corolla sitting on a prop stage with mannequins inside, dressed as teen girls from the twentieth century, and part of an ambulance with dented walls as part of the library with cozy bench seats and cushions, the shelves' equipment replaced with books and wind chimes. The windows were covered with faded material that fluttered gently with solar generator controlled AC – plants in large pots were placed in strategic positions against shelves and along the staircase, and from the ceiling hung models of the solar system. All throughout the area were glass windows with relics that were polished and gleaming, with small card pieces detailing their name and use. Mannequins dressed in faded clothing popular for the time Kid and the others lived were positioned in various areas – it gave him a creepy feeling.

Something jingled lightly within the place, like windchimes – there was a doorway locked to the public that looked interesting, but he figured it was only staff admittance. He heard Luffy racing up and down the aisles, startling colonists that had found a quiet place to look over their material. Robin emerged from a high desk within the very center; her flowing robe with long vest and hood made Kid think of her as a priest.

"Welcome!" she said cheerily, unblinking as he approached her. Perona had slapped bandages on his facial injuries and he'd pulled on her most recent creations; underneath a bright maroon wool cape, he was wearing a sleeveless black v-neck shirt with fur lined collar, the shirt tucked into tacky striped pants and high brown boots with metal straps. His outfit seemed completely out of place against the colonists' dull colors and copy-cat pieces. His appearance did cause heads to turn, eyes squinting as people winced with the colorful display that didn't exactly match each other. "My, aren't you a bright peacock?"

Since peacocks were pretty, Kid took it as a compliment. "I'm looking for stuff on werewolves and cookbooks," he said, hands on his hips.

Robin's eyebrows lifted. "Very different subjects from each other. I have some cookbooks located to your right – you'll have to use a ladder to access them. Frankly, the dishes inside of those books are antiques. As you have learned these few days, our diets have changed considerably since then – "

"Lady, our stomachs can't handle this Mediterranean diet anymore. Paleo bullshit. We just want something we can stomach. I've lost nearly _seven_ pounds so far, I'm fucking _starving_. Don't give me that shit about how awesome your diet is, you sound like a cross fitting vegan determined to prove your worth," Kid grumbled, looking in the direction she'd pointed.

Robin was aware he was insulting her to some degree, but she disregarded it. "As for werewolves…well…our myths and fables are located to your left over there. Near the children's section."

"You know why I'm here," Kid said, leaning on the counter as he lowered his voice. "I ain't looking into 'fables' – I'm looking into _scientific_ study on werewolves, or even if you just tell me more about that guy, because I am talking about that guy."

"Oh?" Robin asked, curiosity in her features. "You're curious?"

"I want to know how it works," Kid said, using his fingers to count off. "Why does he change? The moon has nothing to do with behavior. It affects tides due to gravitational pulls caused by the rotation of the earth and the alignment of the sun itself. It shouldn't compel him to change just because the moon's closer to us than it usually is – that's bullshit. The gravitational effects are too minimal to affect human behavior, so there's something else affecting him to – "

"Zoro is a mysterious person whose origins are unknown," Robin said. "But there was a colony far from here that has been documented in some history journals to have dabbled into experimental effects on making the perfect superhuman to adapt to the harsher environment after the re-emergence of humans from shelters after the missiles struck. It no longer exists, and its colonists have long since scattered with minimal participation in surviving scientists that struggled to keep this practice going. It's not all 'natural' – just like you four. Their abilities were the cause of human action to adapt into what the environment is now. Unfortunately, they still emerge from very different colonies and in our times, each colony is very reluctant to share and confide information in. Wherever he came from, they were more successful in generating a superhuman whose cycles are undetermined – environmentally or mystically. We don't have qualified personnel here that can investigate that matter to find out why. Perhaps he changes in response to Sanji's cycle – being a pair, just as women's cycles happen to coincide with each other, maybe Zoro responds as Sanji does. Sanji is most likely from a colony that tried to replicate those of Zoro's and failed – he has admitted to being rejected as an experiment because he 'wasn't right', and those are his quotes, not mine.

"I noticed that Sanji prefers his animal side in response to stressful events – when he arrived here, he was an animal when he met Zoro, and it was some time before settling here when he emerged as human. Believe me, none of us were shocked more than Zoro when that happened. When the first cycle began, unfortunately, the response that occurred as the result of his heat generated a terrible response from Zoro. Think of it – when puberty made its appearance, Sanji had no way of controlling his abnormal hormones as they surged to the surface and overwhelmed his common sense; when the public began to become bothered by his unnatural affections – "

"Correct yourself there little lady," Kid interrupted firmly. "When he was being _assaulted_ by the public…"

He then waved a hand to indicate that she continued to speaking, and Robin looked at him blankly before she cleared her throat.

"When he was being _assaulted_ ," she began, "of course this stressed Zoro. This is his friend, it was terrifying – "

"' _Terrifying'_. That's not even close to the words I'm thinking of!"

Robin tilted her head, Luffy laughing overhead as he climbed the joists holding the dome aloft. The solar system jingled as its wires were disturbed by his actions.

"I love that you're so empathetic to their situation," she said. "Do you identify with them as well?"

"Look, it's just weird coming into a society that doesn't think that sort of thing was revolting," Kid said. "Back in _my_ day, that sort of thing was _un_ acceptable, and it was always blasted that victims come first! Not the suspects! People called for the suspects heads, not blamed the kid!"

"Things have changed since your day," Robin commented.

"Yeah, a fucking rollback!"

"Zoro killed those that responded to Sanji's – "

"Zoro killed people that were _assaulting_ him! Quit making me repeat myself!"

"Excuse me. Zoro killed those that were _assaulting_ him, then killed those that responded after. It was understood after the full moon event that neither had memory of it, but they were judged harshly. If it wasn't for me stepping in on their behalf, both of them would have been cast out. Not killed – we don't kill."

"By your own hands, but you did intend on killing them by casting away! _Fuck_!" Kid then shouted, his voice ringing out within the enclosed area and causing some people to get up and leave hastily. He returned to the counter with his hands slapping down atop of the surface. "Why is this place so fucking backwards? In all the movies I saw, victims get retribution – the news said so – so why is this society so eager to place the blame on others yet claim they were victims themselves?"

"I can't answer for our society, I can only answer for myself."

"This is pissing me off!"

"I see that."

"Okay, look – _enough_. So he responds to Sanji's cycle – not necessarily changing at full moon rising but as a _response_. It's a bond thing – so, are they like…?" Kid wrapped his pinkies together, Robin reading the gesture with amusement.

Luffy landed down next to him with a huff. "What are you getting mad, for? Can't we go fifteen minutes without you getting mad all the time?"

Kid pushed him away by hand to face, waiting for Robin's answer.

"No," she replied flatly. "Even still, they are considered outcasts and unfavorable to any type of relationship here in the colony. They are sullied."

Kid ran his hands through his hair with rising agitation before Robin corrected herself firmly. "Our people do not find them favorable because they are afraid of the responses. Zoro's cycle is known to disregard human and animal life for the sole purpose of mindless slaughter to those that try and oppose him, and Sanji's is considered by our society as too promiscuous. Not a fault of his own, that's just what our society feels."

Luffy furrowed his brow. "So, they're like us. Overall. That's what I'm getting. People don't like us, either."

Robin studied Kid curiously, noting the frustration in his face. "Are you looking answers to hold over them, or to understand them?"

"Probably both," Kid admitted. "Considering things, I don't have any hand on the other guy, but this one I think I might."

"Peculiar."

"If you want to understand something, you research and study it, right? So I'm studying and researching my subject! I want to understand him and study him to see how he works and if this is going to affect me in any way," Kid said.

Robin was quiet for a few moments before she added gently, "I noticed that you have many injuries. I can assure you, you won't turn into a werewolf yourself – "

"AUGH! _No_! That's _not_ what I was asking!" Kid yelled, mortified as his hands went to his hair. Then he leaned in whispering, "Are you sure? Because fluids were exchanged – "

Her eyes widened with horror, immediately misunderstanding. Her mind conjured sinful images before he sputtered, "Both of us were bleeding! We got it all over the place! That's how things get transferred, you know? Well? Is this a sure thing?"

Laughing as she waved her thoughts away, Robin said, "Well, you're the only one to emerge from battle with him, so I think if something were to happen in that fashion, you'd be the only one."

Luffy looked at Kid with his eyes wide, Kid catching his expression. "You're so lucky," Luffy whispered. "I'd want to be one, too!"

"Stop copying me!" Kid complained.

"Bite me when it happens, okay?"

Robin chuckled. "Oh my, wolf pups might be a little overwhelming for this group. They're very rambunctious, feeding off each other's energy, but also very intelligent and loyal. I fear some of these factors might be lacking when I think further on it."

Kid frowned at her, picking at her comments to see if she were insulting him.

Robin reached out to her left, pulling out a tablet. Swiping a few times, she presented it to Kid, who took it from her with a puzzled frown. "I was wondering if any of you would visit, so I prepared my findings from what was left on the base and any other relevant documents here. You may borrow it."

"What's this?"

"Journal entries kept by soldiers that survived the bombing, along with conspiracy theories that you may find relevant to your situation," Robin answered. "Conspiracy theories were all that was left when humans were forced underground to survive the fallout. I'm sorry, that's all I can do."

Kid swiped through the contents, finding every scanned PDF file listed in numbered order and carefully categorized by subject. It even had pictures of the supposed crew appointed to the bunker – he recognized Sengokou's picture right away. He pulled away from the counter with a "huh."

"Was that all you were looking for, today?" Robin then asked.

"We just wanted to know cookbooks and how to beat up a werewolf, because when Kid tried, he lost," Luffy told her, Kid reacting with an indignant shout. "He was bleeding over everything!"

"I didn't lose!" Kid insisted. "I ran out of endurance, that's a different thing!"

"You _lost_."

"I DIDN'T. You're so annoying!"

"Well," Robin commented. "Viola and Rebecca have been rumored to hiding away with the parts they found if you'd like a rematch."

Kid stuffed the tablet into his back pocket. "Where they at?"

Minutes later, they found the home belonging to the woman that had confronted them last night. It was surrounded by a nicely tended yard, with a running solar generator to the side of it. Standing near the farming area, it was a strange spot just out of the general population with access to the main road by a nearby foot bridge.

"People didn't want to live by them?" Luffy wondered aloud, looking over his shoulder at the other clusters of houses they'd just left. People were watching them with worry, sneaking peeks at them from their windows and footpaths.

"Probably not," Kid answered, thinking about the way the woman dressed. Very unlike the others in the colony; Robin was a different exception to the rule, considering her position in the library.

They had barely entered the yard when gunshots hit at their feet, causing them to react hastily. Viola emerged from her home as Kid's temper rose and Luffy scowled, crouching low to pounce.

"And this is probably why!" Luffy said, watching the woman warily.

"Get off my property," Viola ordered strongly. "I won't hesitate to shoot you – those were warning shots."

"We're here to see the werewolf!" Kid snapped back. "Put that away, or I'll hit you with it."

"Why?" Viola challenged. "What do you want to see him, for? Did that other one come back to put him back together?"

"We just wanna see him! He ain't back yet - !"

When Viola made to shoot them, Kid snatched the gun from her. Luffy pounced, and she reacted quickly to kick out. She yelled as his arms wrapped around her, and he made to slam her into the ground when something caught Kid's ear. Crumbling the handgun into a ball, he sidestepped the pair that were rolling on the ground, ignoring Viola's shouts and Luffy's angry snarls about having been warned. The house was cozy with cool air, the windows opened only slightly. Everything had a rustic look about it, with minimal decorations. Instead, covering nearly every surface was books, journals, tablets, and various recovered relics that had a different sheen to them than Robin's collection did.

Kid caught sight of the man he was looking for, and he was, indeed, in pieces. He was also dead asleep, unmoving to the sounds that came from outside. Viola had tried to make his bed comfortable for him – placing his head and part of his neck on a large floor pillow, with his torso and right arm placed just nearby. His left arm was at his side, and his lower body, cut at the hips, were placed just underneath the cut middle that had been separated from his torso. To Kid, it appeared the Law's cutting had been only the result of hasty action, not the precise cut that he usually made in training. He had to have done it while Zoro was attacking.

There was a thin blanket covering Zoro, but Kid could see that he wasn't wearing any clothes. Zoro was inches smaller than him, with a little more mass than Sanji had, but after comparing him to the creature he was when Kid battled him, it seemed like a lie. He seemed small and thin under those blankets, a common civilian without his fur and swords. Kid had the urge to pet him on the forehead, but he resisted the temptation because that was a weird thought. Zoro was also unlike his wolf personality – that thing had been a straight up killer with a want for blood and the Zoro he'd met in the bunker was blunt and rude. It was almost as if he had double personalities, and Kid wasn't sure which one was the true person. He wasn't sure what he'd expected when he found him, but he just knew he had to see Zoro.

He frowned as he stood over the green haired man, nudging an arm with the tip of his boot to see if he'd respond. All he got was a snore.

"Hey," he said, adding more force to the kick. "Wake up."

The man didn't move. Viola had placed bandages wherever she had seen injury, so it was satisfying to see that Zoro was just as hurt as he. He crouched low, jabbing Zoro right between the eyes with repetitive action. When that didn't produce anything, he pinched his nose shut. Zoro did snort and turn his head, but despite it he continued to sleep, looking dead to the world. Scowling, Kid wet a finger and jabbed it into his ear with a painful rubbing. Zoro snorted and made to turn his entire body away from him, but just ended up turning his head. The rest of his body moved clumsily, struggling with the effort in separate pieces which made Kid react with a disgusted sound, retreating away.

"Scobberlotcher," Kid thought he heard Zoro mutter, and Kid wasn't sure if it were an insult or a threat.

Viola stomped in, hair in disarray and her breath leaving her in pants.

" _Leave him alone_!" she snapped at him, forcing her hair back behind his ears. "What's wrong with you? Are you here to continue this stupid battle?'

"Hey, how'd you win?" Kid then asked curiously. A few steps to the left showed him Luffy giggling as he laid on his side, his hands pressed up against his ribs.

Viola shoved him towards the door. "Leave him! If you're not here to fix him, then you're a problem! As if they have to face the rest of the colony with this shit, they now have you to bother them?"

"I'm not 'bothering'!" Kid protested, setting himself firmly against the door. "The more I learn about these dudes, the more I have in common with them! I'm looking to recruit, not prove dick size!"

"Right, and for _what_ reason?" Viola asked snappishly. "You're going to overthrow the colony, or something?"

"Maybe," Kid huffed. "I don't agree with my colleague sometimes, but he's got a point."

"For _what_?" Viola exclaimed.

"Things need to change around here – "

"You haven't been here for more than a week, and you want to _change_ things?" Viola asked incredulously. "What the hell gives you the right?"

"The fact that most of these rules are bullshit! And I ain't got nothing else to do!"

Viola scoffed at him, crossing her arms over her chest as Kid frowned down at her. "Right, like Iceburg's going to allow you to do that. The colony has been here for over fifty years – the grounds are useful, the location protects us from enemies, and it's a prime location for everyone to live in peace. To think that you four losers would come in and try to change it to fit your comfort is completely unreasonable."

"You don't sound happy, cupcake," Kid said. "You're like…every aggressive feminist I know from Youtube. Are you a lesbian?"

He didn't see the hand that cracked over his face, but he sure felt it. He hissed, clapping a hand over his cheek as Luffy shuffled in with a curious expression. He immediately veered towards the kitchen as Viola looked after him with alarm.

"I don't know what that is," she admitted, "but you used a tone that sounded insulting. I won't be insulted in my own home."

"Then step outside!" Kid snapped at her.

"If you aren't here to fix him, then you'll leave, now," she then said, striding away from him. She saw that Luffy was digging through her icebox and emerging with leftovers from last night, but she felt that battle wasn't worth entering. She stood between Zoro and Kid with her arms crossed tightly once more. "I won't let any more harm come to them. The colony is bad enough."

"I'm not here to hurt anybody!" Kid stressed heavily, arms spread for emphasis. "Like I said earlier, we have similarities! Where I come from, there aren't werewolves or werefoxes, or what _ever_ , and they come from a similar background as us! Maybe not raised as weapons or tools for destruction, but they were fucked over, too! This is kinship! _Kinship_!"

Viola considered this for a few moments, reviewing the memory of her encounter with Law the other night. After thinking about it during her return back to the colony, the remains of the man in the room with Sanji was too unusual with one of Zoro's kills. Zoro killed like an animal would – these remains had been splattered, as if taking an immense amount of pressure all at once. The way he'd reacted to them after, allowing them to treat Sanji, had made her hesitate in thinking that he'd been there like the rest of them.

Kid realized she was considering his words. "Look, lady, I get it – "

"Hey, why are you reasoning with her?" Luffy asked, his mouth full from the kitchen. "It's weird, Kid. You just usually go about getting your way by force – "

"Because it didn't work last time!" Kid shouted at him impatiently. Viola instantly reacted.

"Oh yeah," Luffy remembered with a mutter.

"Coming up to my home with pretenses?" she asked, stepping towards him fearlessly. "You and that other guy, you're real pieces of work! He pretended to be nice to Sanji, too, but you're just here to ruin their lives even further - !"

"He ran off with him!" Kid bellowed over her voice. "He brought him back here from the city then left with him back to the bunker! He said he'd be back today, there's no other pretenses from us about these guys! All I wanted to do was have a _chat_ with _this_ one, and you're in my face, yelling at me!"

"Brought him back here?" Viola questioned, furrowing her brow. "From the city? His things were still there and I thought – "

"Well, you thought wrong, because you're a woman that panics easily when she feels threatened."

"Iceburg would have _never_ allowed that – "

"He didn't have a say! I can get my way, and if – I don't know what _he_ wants, he's a weird guy, but all I think is that I can get these kids on my side, I would have a better advantage to survival. That's it, all right? I'm not going to survive here if I don't have them on our side! Yeah, maybe that's greedy compared to what you want, this is a selfish request, but I'm thinking we're not going to last long here," Kid finished with a huff.

Viola considered his words. "But you're superhumans without any relation to any of us here. New. _Time travelers_. If you chose to rise against this colony for your own purposes, intending on enslaving us – "

"No one's looking for slaves! _Yet_ ," Kid added, looking at her pointedly. "None of us has any want to be king!"

" _I_ do!" Luffy cried.

"Besides, this colony is bunk," Kid exclaimed. "This place is fully ready to place the blame on these two for things that the colonists did to them! And you're part of it!"

"I never thought the way that they do, but this is _my_ home, and I refuse to work under the hand of fools like you," Viola snapped back at him.

"All I want to do is survive!" Kid shouted impatiently. "That's _all_ I want to do! I didn't survive those pods for two hundred years just to die like a dog on the side of the street! Of course I'm going to put my selfish reasoning first, and _first_ of all, I don't want to live under the hand of someone telling me what to do again, hell with that. I'm living by my own rules, now, and if that means stealing off with people that can get me there, then I'm going to do it."

Viola snorted. Luffy stilled as Kid froze, his expression tightening.

"What's so funny about that?" he asked dangerously.

"Once you're without a colony, what are you going to do outside those walls?" Viola asked him curiously. "Are you aware of the land layout? Are you familiar with the colonies that can be considered closer to ours? Once you're out those walls, there's nothing but animal predators and hostiles that prey on vulnerable human beings. Were you aware of that?"

"Lady," Kid said, bending slightly to look levelly into her eyes, "the only fear I have right now is starving to death on your goddamn vegan food. Other humans? They mean nothing to me. Did you not hear a word I said earlier? The group of us were raised as human _weapons_ , _weapons_ made to fight a war. Other humans need to fear _me_."

Viola tightened her lips. She looked to Zoro, noting his snores, then back at Luffy, who was looking at her grimly. While she thought that the group of them had powers that were frightening, their ideas outdated and foolish, she didn't doubt that they lacked fear of other human beings. Theirs was a real fear – animals didn't do well with hunting; _they_ hunted humans. And judging by the gossip she'd overheard with the local kitchen, the group of them weren't settling well with the colony's diet. With Sanji's skills as a cook – learned by his own trial and error, as the cooks with the kitchen refused to work with him – they could make it for some time on what he could provide out there in the wastelands. With Zoro's survival skills, they could bypass the worst of the wastelands and get somewhere.

But if they chose to stay in the colony and 'change rules', then that was a threat to everyone living there. Iceburg had run the place peacefully for years. The colonists were happy. Everyone was thriving well.

In a way, there was positivity to Kid's demands. Zoro and Sanji would no longer be oppressed by the colonists, and the quartet could possibly die if they didn't adapt once they were outside the walls. Perhaps the pair could be heroes as a result for taking away the threat. But she worried about the two younger men falling prey to the group's ideas; if so, she was reluctant to agree.

She frowned. "They might not agree to this," she said simply. "They have their own minds about things."

"I don't think I'll have a hard time convincing them to go along with me," Kid said with some satisfaction, seeing that he'd somehow managed to appease her.

"'I, I, I'!" she mocked loudly. "That's all I heard from you! You, you, you! You're not speaking for your group, are you?"

"Whatever _they_ want to do, they can do it. This is what I want."

"Me, too!" Luffy hollered, shoving in half a loaf of bread into his mouth and chewing clumsily.

"Are you not united?" Viola asked curiously.

"No," Kid said, Luffy echoing him. "It's just…y'know…we're part of the same crowd, same place – but not exactly looking to live together."

" _Stupid_ ," she hissed impatiently. "Get out of my home. He's fine. When that other man comes back, bring him here to fix him."

"You can't stop me from convincing them to come with me," Kid said, turning to the door. "This irritates me. Wasting my breath talking to someone like you. _I'm tired_!"

As he stalked out from the house, Viola expected Luffy to follow. He was once again in her icebox, pulling out a glass container of milk. "GET _OUT_!" she shouted at him, Luffy replacing the container hastily and hurrying out. In the silence that remained, Viola stood there with a frown. She felt unsettled, unsure of what to think or do.

On their way back to the house, Luffy asked, "Am I going with you?"

"I don't know," Kid muttered. "I thought we all agreed we were doing our own thing."

'Yeah, but…we all need those guys," Luffy reasoned. "We still need to be taken care of."

Kid whirled on him with an indignant expression. "Aren't you tired of 'being taken care of'?"

"No," Luffy replied. "I'm lazy. I like being able to ask for something and have it handed to me. Kings shouldn't have to do that. They just get stuff served to them."

"Go play with bugs," Kid then said, shoving him aside.

"She was right, you know. You kept saying 'I' a lot. You're not speaking for me, but I don't want to stick around here, either. I want adventure! I want fun and excitement, and what she said sounds like more fun."

"Right?" Kid said vaguely. He looked around himself, the colonists watching them warily. "Living here seems like a drag. Following their rules seems stupid and uninteresting. They all want to live pretty lives without any cruel interruptions, and place blame easily if they're inconvenienced. Life sounds exciting out there, but hearing her mention 'wastelands' and hostiles has me rethinking things."

"It sounds fun! Exploring places that aren't settled!"

"Hostiles don't bother me, they can bring it. But going places where there isn't any easy access to food? If we take those two with us, they don't eat meat. They'd have to serve us. What if they die before we get anywhere?"

"They're animals," Luffy reminded him. "Animals are different from humans. They can eat meat and hunt, right? Zoro's a predator! And Sanji is emergency food rations – "

"He'd be the _cook_ , idiot!"

"Oh…Oh _yeah_ …but in a pinch - !"

Kid groaned noisily.

"When Law gets back, what do you think he'll do?"

"I don't care," Kid answered grouchily. "It sounds like all he wants to do is sit back in the past and moan about that. Far as I'm concerned, I need to look forward. Like, I'm interested in what he finds? But not that much. Because right now, I need to focus on what my future's going to look like."

"I guess that's okay," Luffy murmured, thumb nail to his lip with thought. "After all, we can't change the past. We're living in the future, now."

"Right, so…but I still want to know what happened. I don't know, I'm conflicted," Kid then said, sweeping his cloak off one shoulder. The day was heavily smoky, and though they'd gotten used to the thick taste of ash, it was still better than being inside the bunker. The sun was a bright red orb in the sky – while the fire wasn't visible from where they were standing, the stream of steady smoke in the distance assured them that it was still raging. The smoke gave the sky a brown, shadowish blanket that barely allowed the blue to shine through. Colonists that spent most of their time outside were coughing lightly, and the most concern came about the crops that were struggling with the interrupted sunlight. In the distance, a storm seemed to build up on the sea waters.

Kid paused in mid-step to look in that direction, wondering what the sea felt like. It looked amazing and grand in the movies, and from the pictures depicted in Luffy's magazines, it looked like something wonderful.

"After land, sea," he muttered thoughtfully.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: PLEASE IMMEDIATELY DISREGARD READING THIS CHAPTER AND GO TO MY AND PENUMBRAZXS'S TUMBLR AND SEE FANART OF 'THE HUNTER!' It's beautiful! T.T**

 **Naghi-Tan** : It's weird and new to me, too XD But I'm game! With this new life, they're exploring other aspects of themselves and learning slowly that they are, no matter what was expected of them, human.

 **Happy Balon** : XD

 **HS** : Kid has his moments – but there's a reason he's captain in OP! Or maybe Killer is the actual Captain, like Nami! Law is stuck on the past it's what shaped him in the first place, but the answers he's seeking might be pointless, now. Like Kid said, all they can do is look forward D: But his anger won't go away just like that. The more he learns and interacts, the angrier he gets. Having the spithood was a subtle hope for someone in that he didn't emerge from the pods later on DX But there's still a mystery surrounding them, so more things will come to light. And it's totally okay if you cannot continue reading due to certain aspects of the story – I had viewed a different sort of relationship with LawSan in this story; I had thought when I started that I saw an ending of this fic, but the more it builds, the more it remains invisible to me, so it's up to what happens between the characters that allows me to see it. D: Which means more struggle. But I'll understand when you disappear It's quite alright!

 **Penumbra** : I'm still sobbing over your fanart! It's so gorgeous and I can't get over it so it's my phone lockscreen now, where I can gaze upon it with love and adoration! Fennec foxes are very noisy and very active! Their ears are so adorably huge! And Law's fear of the dark is unexpected but he grew up with the lights on *all the time D: And oh yes…their unexpected attention to the shapeshifters are a confusing mess for them, haha! Something I want to continue exploring!

 **: : Thirteen**

After sorting through all the paperwork he could find, moving from office to office and finding useless files that related more to the bunker's operations than to the subjects, Law wasn't able to pierce together anything more than what he'd found in the conference room. He found it frustrating that he wouldn't find what he was looking for here – but the longer he spent rifling through various files that crumpled in his hands, the more he felt anger rising. In the quiet of the back office, lantern casting a soft glow on the desk nearby, he set aside the last file he'd taken from the cabinet. The carpet seemed stained with white lint balls, but he'd also noticed that the paper shredders had been busy the last day here, their mechanical teeth covered with paper entrails – information forever lost due to time.

If information was being hidden from the 'them' mentioned in Corazon's notes in the conference room, then it was done quickly.

He looked over to the desk across from him, seeing Sanji sleeping in a ball he'd curled up in in what seemed like some time ago. While comforting in that Law wasn't the only human being inside of the bunker, it caused irritation in lack of human response from the other. Despite his want for privacy and space from the invasive Marines, he had to admit he'd become dependent on their presence. This intense silence and unmoving darkness was unsettling.

He exhaled slowly as he rose from the chair. It emitted a loud squeak that reverberated through the quiet and caused Sanji to jerk upright with a startled bark. Once he saw it was safe, the fox yawned and scratched at one ear with one back foot. He then leapt down from the desk, stretching as Law brushed himself off and retrieved the lantern. Taking the lead, Sanji walked out from the office while yawning again. He then quickened his pace and hurried out of Law's sight, the darkness swallowing him in mere moments. Law could hear the pitter-patter of the fox's claws against the hard floor and made his way with reluctance out of the cluster of rooms.

He told himself that there was nothing he could do about the past, but it still burned him from within. He understood Kid's stance on focusing on the 'here and now', but with the unsolved events that had occurred, he was driven to understand _why_. Once he emerged back to the main hall with the locked door ahead, he saw that Sanji was scratching at it from below, pressing his nose against the strip with slight noises coming from him. He hurried back to Law at his approached and raced back, digging at the door frantically.

Because there was a pushbar there, Law tried that first. It didn't budge, so he teleported himself and Sanji outside. The fox wiggled out of his hands and leapt away from him, heading back towards the bunker's threatening darkness. The day had carried on without them, showing him the very low light of a waning afternoon. With how brown it seemed from where he was standing, the taste of smoke catching him, he figured the fires were still burning in the distance. He looked at the stairway back to the bunker with reluctance. He wondered what Zoro and Ussop had found on them to notify Robin the day of their arrival – she seemed well versed with who they were and where they'd come from.

Maybe those were the things he was looking for.

With heavy steps caused by the long walk yesterday, he headed back down into the bunker. He said he'd be back today, but his feet hurt and his legs felt heavy. The recognition of the weakness caused him to automatically brush it away – intense training reminded him that he was to go until he physically couldn't, anymore; no defeat. After finding Sanji milling around the kitchen, Law pulled off his backpack and set it on the counter after setting the lantern down. The fox pulled at the bag until Law pulled out the canned food he'd brought with him. He opened a canister of fruit, the fox digging in eagerly without giving him a chance to see what it was.

Pulling out a bright ball of orange colored-fruit, the fox shifted aside and clumsily ate. Law examined the contents for himself, dipping a finger in to taste it. They were peaches. He pulled out some for himself and ate, appreciating the sweet taste that seemed like heaven. Considering his size, the fox took some time to chew, slowly making his way through a single peach with awkward chewing and occasional cooing that seemed to be of approval.

Finishing the contents of the jar, Law looked back into his bag for dried items, taking out bundles of nuts and mixed fruits, along with a half a loaf of bread. He wasn't sure what foxes ate, setting out some nuts and more fruit and looked at the bread with distaste. He had figured Sanji would eat it, but Sanji seemed satisfied with the peach and left it to clean his muzzle, perched neatly at the edge of the counter to do so.

"Change back," Law told him, waiting for his response. The fox's ears twitched but he seemed to ignore him. "Change back so we can talk."

The fox looked at him before lowering his paw back the counter. After being so noisy earlier, he was quiet and twitchy, and it made Law feel like Sanji was doing this purposely to him. As a result of _what_ , though? Did the fox remember the things happened?

"Are you mad?" he questioned low, his voice too loud within the unmoving silence. Sanji's response was a tilt of his head, ears flicking as he turned to face Law. His eyes seemed to be asking a question himself, and it made Law frown at him.

Sanji barked at him with his mouth closed, a peculiar talent for an animal like him.

"I don't understand, so _change back_."

Sanji barked at him again, then resumed cleaning his face. Near similar to a cat's movement, the sound of his tongue brushing against his fur was the only sound that stood out after that. Law continued frowning at him, finishing up the dried nuts and fruit. He replaced the bread back into the bag. He drank the juice left behind with the peaches and realized he hadn't even packed enough water for both of them.

As he was cleaning up, Sanji lowered his paw to watch, seemingly waiting to hear what they were going to do next. Law looked at him with frustration, the fox ignoring that expression to jump from the counter and dart off, tail straight. As he disappeared from Law's sight, Law pulled the backpack on and grabbed the lantern. There was really nothing he could take from the bunker, but he knew it wasn't going to be the last time he would come here.

Half hour later they set off back towards the colony. The bright red orb in the sky was sinking towards the rising storm clouds over the sea, and wind picked up particles from the fire ravaged ground. He kept Sanji in sight as the fox lead the way, bravely taking on the wide open space just to show Law the appropriate path to take. Law scanned the skies for the fearsome predators he'd heard about, but the smoke seemed to make it difficult for any living creature to venture out into.

Once they reached the city limits, Law recognizing the way from here, Sanji flopped over onto the pavement with a sigh. Law figured it was the distance that tired the animal out, looking down on the animal with a frown.

"It's time to change back, isn't it?" he asked stiffly. Sanji's response was a frantic wag of his tail, rolling onto his back with a stretch. Other than that, he didn't move. Seeing that the fox was being stubborn, Law continued on his way. He heard the screeches of the animal, but he ignored it. The pavement was hard and relentless under his feet as he came into a long abandoned neighborhood that once was part of the city's suburb. All around him were shells of houses and rusted skeletons of vehicles. Here, the long ago ash and remains of an obvious explosion told Law that the neighborhood had been too close to the base when the missile struck. The neighborhood would then wind slowly through strip malls and freeway ramps – everything looked as if someone massive had just sent a match through it long ago; burnt and decayed.

It was when he'd finally entered city limits when he heard the plaintive sound of the fox far behind him. The sound echoed along the ridges of crumbling buildings, bounced off the quiet of a thriving wilderness. Law looked back to see if he could see the animal, impatient for it to turn back into the human it was supposed to be. The sound once again ricocheted from somewhere to his left. Before he could turn in that direction, a louder screech from above caught his attention. The massive body of a hawk took to the air with heavy flapping – it was the size of a Great Dane, its wingspan longer than Law's body. Once the bird was in flight, gliding towards the area Law heard Sanji call from, he hesitated to continue on.

But with his experience Law figured Sanji could sort the situation out himself. He'd survived this long with that form and it wasn't up to Law to go back and rescue him. He felt little pity for the animal – if Sanji wanted to, he could change back into a human and make it easier for both of them. He watched the bird start to canvas the area, joined by another from the east.

He continued walking.

Nearly an hour later, he took a break at the freeway section that had caused them trouble the first time they'd arrived to the city. He sat at the edge and glared down at the water below – none of them liked water. It had been used dangerously on all of them by the Marines, and it weakened them in an effect that the Marines were puzzled by. The water seemed brown, probably caused by the fire's effects on destroying the land and there were broken trees littering the walls of the canal. He reached into his backpack and began looking for something suitable to eat, disregarding the bread once more. He wasn't sitting there for very long until he heard light panting and the click of nails on pavement. He looked back to seeing the fox making its way over, obviously exhausted. Scanning the sky for the hawks, Law waited for the animal to reach him. The fox flopped over, his blond fur disheveled, dirty and sticky near the tail.

He did feel bad then, noticing the color. He reached back and picked him up, the fox as limp as a noodle in his hand. Placing him on his lap, Law examined his tail to see he was missing some patches of fur and had a gash near the middle, which oozed and crusted as it was handled. More color alerted him to other gashes on the back of the left hind leg. One of the hawks nearly had a meal, he realized. He searched inside of himself for some sort of empathy and found a heavy, uncomfortable feeling that made him regret leaving the fox behind just to prove a point. He ripped his sleeve from the cuff down, using his teeth to tear it into thin strips.

"Should've been human," he told Sanji sternly, the fox's only response a kick of his uninjured leg. But he lifted his head to watch as Law wrapped the tail wound with care, tying a small knot that allowed the material to cling tightly to the extremity. With his back leg, Law found it a difficult area to cover, and had to think of a creative idea in order to wrap the wound. He ripped the rest of his arm sleeve off, tearing that into strips. Concentrating on the task, he wrapped the material as best as he could around the fox's wound.

By the time he was done, Sanji's back leg was wrapped towards his paw, hindering the stretch of his leg. The fox seemed to groan, still limp as Law held him gently. He was unmoving as Law set him down on the pavement next to him, and Law had to tell himself that he was tired from walking the long distance – the fox had to push his little legs to the limit to keep up with him. But it frustrated him that he would not change back to the human being Law was more comfortable with.

He stood, pulling his backpack off. He scooped the animal up and deposited him inside and zipped with enough space left behind to allow the fox to poke his head out from the side. Then he teleported to the other side of the canal and continued walking. He was walking through a row of high rises when a loud keening sound took to the air with startlingly strength. Because it was similar to the dogs that they'd seen the first night, Law looked around himself with apprehension, feeling Sanji moving about. He whined a little but stopped, Law listening for any sound of movement. Once he heard the clicking of claws on pavement from behind him, he turned to see a large wolf emerging out from a neighboring street. It was looking at him, tail erect, before it turned and began trotting towards them. Considering the size of it, Law hoped that there wasn't any more of them.

To discourage it, he formed a Room and used Takt to send it flying down the street. It flopped over with a grunting sound and quickly returned to its feet to flee the scene. Satisfied, Law turned to continue walking when two more wolves slammed into him with the force of a moving car. Their combined moving strength lifted him off his feet and dropped him nearly ten feet from where he'd been standing. Their teeth were immediately snapping towards him as he hit the street on his back, and panic rose up with the unexpected attack from mere _animals_. Shoving aside one muzzle allowed another to push towards his neck, feeling their heavy feet atop of him. Law quickly teleported himself to replace with the rusted skeleton of a taxi cab – the wolves realized he was missing so they turned their massive heads to scan the street for him. Once they saw he'd taken a distance away, they separated and sprinted off into separate alleyways. Three more of the pack were suddenly sprinting towards Law from a nearby side street, and he cut through them with sloppy movement as howling rose up from the right.

From the remains of a building nearby, a wolf peered out at him, then took to the air with a high leap as Law started running. He didn't see the animal until its shadow passed over him, and he teleported himself down the street, replacing with another vehicle. From the nearby cross street, two more wolves began running towards him. Their heavy growls and bared teeth looked menacing, but they stopped some distance away, seemingly blocking his escape in that direction or even furthering his run to that street. They separated so that he was forced to take a left, and he could see from the corner of his eyes that there were two more leaping from building to building with him in sight. One poked his large head out from an alleyway and crouched, causing him to divert through a nearby side alley before the animal quickly darted out and took the rest of the street down to the corner.

The pack was large, and realizing that they were actively thinking to hunt and trap him caused a bit of panic to rise up within him. Animals weren't supposed to be this intelligent. Law teleported them out from the alley, alighting atop of a rooftop in time to see more running towards him. Their speed grew in earnest, so he left the rooftop and returned to the street, looking for a place to hide. He turned to see how much of a distance he had from them and was startled to see that they were gone. Pausing in mid step, he looked up at the buildings around him, scanning the broken windows and shattered walls. The eerie quiet in the area had his heart pumping. He reached back to make sure Sanji was still in his backpack and felt the reassuring weight of fur there.

He then turned in a circle, scanning the nearby streets and open alleyways. He saw the shape of one shooting past the alley to his left – he hurriedly ran to the open doors of an apartment building, seeing that it was once a high rise dedicated to the wealthy. The stained pillars and marble floors said a lot, along with the ashy walls once decorated with lavish painting and wallpaper. He then hurried through the scattered debris that coated the floor, looking for a stairway. Once he saw the opening that would lead him to the garage, he headed in that direction instead.

He'd just emerged out into the open when he felt Sanji suddenly shift, biting the back of his head. The unexpected contact had him reeling back moments before the light whistle and accompanying blast of a rifle alerted him to a new problem. He quickly ducked back into the building, in disbelief at being shot. Three more shots exploded around him as the shooter tried prompting him into moving. One of the shots took to the air, telling him that there was two of them out there.

He hid behind one of the pillars to catch his breath and consider his newest predicament. The fox slithered from his bag and alighted to the ground with a fumble, scrambling awkwardly to his feet. Law looked at him with concern, catching movement ahead of him. A wolf was standing in the open doorway, ears laid back as it looked from Sanji to him. Its shadow moved over the floors and prompted one of the shooters to fire at it, a loud crack reverberating throughout the lobby. The wolf ducked then pranced anxiously before turning away to hustle out of there.

Moments later several of them scrambled from various points of the buildings across from this one, running down the street with heads faced forward. At high attention, Sanji's ears flickered as he watched this then looked up at Law, moving towards the doors with urgent barks. Law hesitated for a moment then followed after him. As he did so, the second shooter painted the walls with a series of close shots, forcing him to run closer to the elevators alongside that wall. Once the final echo of the last shot faded away, he determined that he was clear to move back through the lobby, following Sanji outside. Confident, the fox darted across the street to take him away from the area.

Wary of the wolves and the newest threat, Law kept his upper body low and lunged for the cover of a tractor trailer that had overturned over a row of vehicles in the lane next to it. Once he was sure he was in the clear, he followed Sanji through the alleyway and saw him make a sharp right. Nearly three blocks away, the fox collapsed on the sidewalk with a high pitched whine. Law scooped him up and tucked him back into his backpack, looking behind them towards the area.

He paused in mid-step, then reached back to zip the bag up more firmly. Up on the rooftop, he had a better visual of the high rises that the shooters were taking their shots from. The building he thought looked like a good location for these men had a wound between the twentieth and thirtieth floors. As if something had slammed into it from the air and exited onto the street behind it. It was dangerously tilted into the gap, but steel beams kept the building standing strong.

He bent to a crouch behind an AC unit and shielded his eyes to glare up in that direction. Floor by floor, he visually scanned the building until he saw movement in the forty eighth floor. Scanning the rooftops closest to it, he made the determination to eliminate the mystery. He teleported from roof to roof and caught sight of the building's gaping wound to change places with some debris hanging there. Once inside the building, he took some minutes to find the stairway, following the posted signage on the crumbling walls. On the forty-eighth floor, he listened for the sound of men's voices, Sanji struggling to push his head out from the bag. Releasing him, he whispered, "Find them."

The fox looked at him reluctantly.

" _Find them_ ," Law repeated firmly.

After some hesitation Sanji's nose lifted, ears perked. He was more interested to the hall right of them, so Law headed in that direction. The fox followed tentatively on high alert, keeping his body close to the floor as he scurried about.

Law heard the click of a lighter coming from an open doorway, and clenched his fists with anticipation. Peeking around the doorframe, he caught sight of a colonist lighting a cigarette, a rifle outfitted with a scope on his lap. Law was sure it was a colonist, determining this by his clothes alone. Around him were sleeping bags, food, what looked like a solar-powered heater. The pane in the window was missing, shards hanging from it dangerously.

He replaced himself with the man's chair, the man choking on his cigarette as he inhaled it with surprise. Upon seeing Law, he scrambled to use the weapon but Law kicked that out of his hands. Still coughing, the man made to yell out when Law stomped on his throat.

As he did so, he heard another voice call out from down the hall. "You okay? Told you to quit those things."

Law formed a Room and separated the man's head from his body. Then tossed it out the open window. He picked up the remaining body and threw that out there, too. Sanji skulked into the room with crouched near the wall, watching him pass by with lowered ears. He followed after Law as he left the room and cautiously began peeking into the open doors to find the other man. He saw this one scanning the streets with his scope, muttering about wolves. The room he'd chosen to use was only office space – desks with long abandoned items on top, metal cabinets laying on the floor from a long ago shake. While the window was shattered, it only allowed the shooter a sliver of space to work with, using the sill as support. He fired a couple of times, snickering as Law approached him.

He grabbed him by the jacket and yanked him back off his feet, forcing him to drop his weapon. He then sat on his chest while pulling the gun from him, tossing it aside as the colonist looked at him with surprised features.

"Why are you shooting at me?" Law asked him calmly, overlooking the man's observation area again. He realized that the road that they'd traveled recently was in view. It led all the way back to the freeway section overlooking the water canal. He immediately assumed that Iceburg had set them up to this. He stood, forming a Room. "Never mind. I see."

The man cried out with fear, then absolute terror as Law removed his head from his body. He tossed it out the window, hearing the sound of his descent as he continued screaming. Law looked out to see the wolves below, already feasting on the first. He turned to see what he could use to bring back to Iceburg when he caught sight of Sanji cringing against the wall, small body curled up with fear.

"As I said," Law told him, rummaging through the man's pockets. The body gave a stiffening jolt, a jerk upward as impact was made. It was an unsettling sight. "I don't appreciate guns being pointed in my direction. And it was _your_ leader that gave the order. He's clearly apprehensive about my choices. Which aren't outrageous, admittedly…but this is unacceptable. You have to ask yourself also, was he trying to get rid of you, too? All the trouble you caused with your heat. I lived my life under oppression, I'd rather not continue doing so with my freedom now."

He found a chain necklace with a locket that was inscribed in the back. Reading it briefly, he tucked that into his backpack before saying, "Dictators seek to subjugate and control, and all of you have found your way under that hand under the name of 'peace'. You think you'll ever find respect living there with your continued escapades? Probably not. But you will convince yourself that you're happy because they gave you some clothing and a house to reside. I've never seen your house, by the way. Is it like the others? I can't imagine with the repute of your character that you're allowed to live near colonists."

He looked to Sanji for a response. The fox clearly understood what he was saying, looking incredibly distressed for an animal his size, and he paused in mid-movement to frown at him.

"Change _back_ ," he ordered tightly. All he got in response was a rapid tail wag, a high pitched whine as Sanji pressed up against the wall as if expecting to be attacked. Turning away from him, Law once again looked outside. The sun was sinking deeper in the clouds, with stars making their appearance just above the cloak of smoke. The colony walls were visible in the distance. He could use the rooftops to escape the wolves' notice. He opened up his backpack before reaching out and snatching the fox, pushing him inside. Zipping it up, he headed to the window and teleported out of there.

By the time he walked up to the gates, the guards were anxious. He bypassed them and headed directly to the house. Kicking in the door, he started Luffy in mid-gulp of milk, Perona choking on her oatmeal and Kid to frown at him, spoon hovering close to his mouth.

"They were dead," Law announced. "Sengokou, Cora, and another officer. The medical overseer."

"Pearsons?" Kid asked tentatively. "The old fart that kept getting a hard on every time he looked at our files?"

"The same. They weren't putting us in the pods to 'save us' – they'd put us there because it was determined that our lives were their failure."

The trio watched him with pensive action as he unloaded his backpack from his shoulders, tossed it to the couch. He looked over the dinner table and muttered, "'Tch'."

"Well, they failed that, too," Kid decided, lowering his spoon.

"But they spent all that time on us," Perona said with a frown. "If they wanted to, they could've done it directly. Were they cowards?"

"We'll never know," Law told her. "The three of them I found in the conference room. Killed at their own hands."

" _Damn_ ," Kid muttered with a pensive frown.

Luffy shrugged. "Well, that's that, then. Time to start anew, right Kid?"

"Also, Iceburg sent out assassins. I should hope he approaches us soon before I do," Law said, reaching down and snatching up the baked fish in Perona's side plate, the woman screeching with dismay. He stuffed it into his mouth, chewing carefully.

"Probably just for you, because _you're_ the one causing all the trouble around here!" Kid snapped at him. "You need to go fix Zoro! He's laying at that feminazi's house in pieces! Her name's _Viola_ , or something…what a witch…"

"She nearly tickled me to death," Luffy said with a laugh, remembering the memory fondly while Perona wrinkled her nose. "She's great!"

"I'm tired," Law muttered petulantly, wandering over to sit on the couch with his arms crossed.

"So you plan on moping about this for the rest of your life?" Kid asked him. "What a dull, _dull_ person you are."

"I still plan on changing some things around here, and if removing the dictator is part of it, then so be it," Law said, opening his backpack and retrieving the fox. Perona squealed, abandoning her chair as Sanji stiffened in his hands. She raced off to their room while Law held onto the animal firmly with both hands, Kid looking at him with a confused frown. "I won't live here under the threat of someone that has a problem with a difference of opinion."

Kid exhaled slowly. "Some ideas can be changed, I think. Not all of it, though."

"I've already been threatened," Law said. "And I won't stand for it again."

Perona returned with a handful of clothing, intending on dressing the fox with her wares. Law looked at Sanji, feeling his tiny form freeze with horror upon seeing her intentions. "You better change back," he warned him, Sanji squeaking and making to leap away when Law caught him and held him up to Perona. Perona snatched him away and sat down to start dressing him. Sanji struggled mightily to get loose, biting and squirming, but Perona was prepared for the fight. Kid watched with some amusement before he looked to Law.

"So you'll talk to Iceburg?"

"If there's one in charge, there's always a second in charge that is more agreeable to certain terms. But this man's life is limited, and he should know that by now. He should've been successful the first time in trying to get rid of me."

Luffy quietly ate what was left on Perona's side of the table, and carefully watched Kid as he snatched pieces from his unprotected plate. Kid was turned in his chair so he could look back at Law, so he didn't see his food being taken.

"I went to that library and got some stuff," Kid said, rising from his chair and picking up a few leather-bound books. Inside were copies of documents taken from salvaged cookbooks, and he flipped through them with cheer. "Some of these were taken from our time, and they look doable."

"What matters is the ingredients available," Law said impatiently, unimpressed with his find. ' _Idiot_."

Kid reddened. He didn't even think of that. He tossed the books aside with a heave. "Hey, _at least_ I was productive! I even went to that lady's library and got answers from her, too! A majority consensus is happy if I leave here with these guys – I can get out of these walls and go see what the rest of the world is like!"

Law noticed that Sanji heard this, twisting his head around to look up at Kid with dismay. He said, "But _they_ won't be agreeable to this."

"I already have it figured out," Kid assured him, returning to his seat. Once he saw what Luffy had done, he stood up again with an outraged expression. He kicked the table up and over, Luffy leaping away before harm could come to him. Dishes crashed to the ground, but with Luffy eating everything, it wasn't as if anything had gone wasted. Amid the clatter, Kid sat backwards in his seat to rest his arms over the top.

"'I'?" Law then repeated.

"I don't want to live in another cage," Kid told him.

"Adapt first before taking on another task you're not even prepared for."

"Don't lecture me."

"Do as you will, but you're on your own," Law said as Perona pulled a ribbon tight on the vest she'd fitted around Sanji. "You can take the wolf, but you're not taking the fox."

"See, that's the thing with you, you're so selfish!"

Perona snorted. "Who's being 'selfish'? No one else here agreed on leaving here!"

" _I_ did," Luffy said, perching atop of a chair nearby. "I don't want to stay here. I want to explore the world!"

"I'm not interested in that," Perona said. "I want the comforts of a place to stay and to have my own things to do. You guys can go ahead and do that."

Law wasn't even sure what he wanted to do. But he didn't plan on going outside the walls just yet. Not after he settled the business he'd had. He still wanted to visit the library and get rid of Iceburg. He needed a purpose – he felt lost without one.

He shrugged as a response. "How do you plan on surviving out there, Eustass?"

"It's 'Kid', don't call me that!" Kid snapped at him. "I'll have _these_ guys to feed me and tell me how to do it! There's other things to do then sitting around moping about the past – this is at least freedom! Freedom to do what I want without someone telling me how."

Law gave him a look that Kid swiped away with an irritated hand through the air.

"I want to see what's out there, something that'll give me a purpose and sitting here inside of a colony that's reluctant to do anything for us because they're scared of us isn't getting us anywhere."

"What's out there, anyway? Because the animals are exactly as they'd said of them – they're cunning and intelligent and I'm afraid you lack those aspects."

"Oh, stuff it. I already know what I want, and this is what it is. But I need that guy intact, so go fix him, get this one to change back, and we can leave in the morning."

"You'll only take one of them."

"Why are you being this way?"

"I've already decided. I won't change my mind."

"He's a pervert," Perona said as she examined Sanji's new costumer with a critical eye. She tightened the bow she'd wrapped around the bandaging on his tail, making him squeak with distress. "That's why."

"I kinda suspected," Kid said as Law's face tightened and involuntarily flushed. "You took off with him during his heat and probably did all sorts of inappropriate things. Robin said he changes because of stress and that's why he's not changing back."

"I'll have you know that it wasn't for that, but for the convenience of the animal," Law said tightly. "It served its purpose and I refuse to give it up because of that."

"'He'," Perona corrected.

" _It_ , because it's still an animal."

Kid reached out and snatched the fox from her grasp, Perona gasping with outrage. " _Change back_!" he threatened the animal, who looked more mortified with his costume than he did to Kid's intimidation. Keeping him out of Perona's reach, Kid stood from his chair, the fox kicking uselessly as he tried to escape. When he made to walk to the door with him, Law switched the nearby lamp with the fox, Kid looking at the item with a start.

He then tightened his fists, turning away from the door. Holding Sanji by the back of his neck over his lap, Law said, "Being that it is an animal, I've already laid my claim on him."

Perona shot to her feet. " _I_ DID! I NAMED HIM MAX!"

" _Irrelevant_ , because you gave him up as food," Law pointed out, patting the top of Sanji's head as the fox made to squirm away. "Now I've claimed this unwanted _pet_."

Perona realized this and froze, eyes widening. She stomped her foot and shrieked with outrage, causing everyone to cringe. Rubbing his ear, Law ignored her as he looked to Kid, who was wearing an expression of dismay. Smirking, Law asked, "Unless you want to duel over him."

Fuming red, Kid stiffened as he considered his choices. Luffy was watching the entire encounter with interest, tensing a little on his chair. Law recognized that the teen was plotting – his eyes centered on Sanji and then darted to the window, the door, determining possible escape routes.

" _Don't even try it_ ," he hissed at him, Luffy looking at him with a tempted chuckle.

Perona turned to face Law, and Law realized that all of them were going to challenge him. Sanji froze, looking from one face to the other, realizing the rising tension. Law dropped him to his lap with one hand over him, and formed a Room. Luffy jumped up from his chair, Perona making to leap, Kid pulling his powers up to retrieve the utensils that had fallen from the table. Just as they made to attack, Law replaced them all with the neighbor's pretty lawn settings in the far corner of their yard. He tutted, standing with Sanji under one arm as he heard the roar of their voices coming back to the house. He used the couch to slide against the front door, and piled the rest of the furniture against it before he retreated to the bedroom. He kept the Room in place as he ripped off Perona's costumer from Sanji, the fox exhaling with relief.

He crawled out the back window as he heard the explosion of Luffy breaking through the pile up against the door. Setting Sanji on the ground, he said, "Lead me to your friend."


	14. Chapter 14

**Naghi-Tan** : :D

 **Penumbra** : Sanji did/does have it bad from Law, but Kid's, ahem, affection is a little questionable too. It's a good thing he watched those Twilight movies; he's better prepared to handle his new feelings than Law is XD

 **HS** : Ah, his attempts were just a little too strong for anyone to be comfortable with. D: That confrontation should be coming up soon.

 **Sarge1130** : Ah, thanks for all your binge reading and comments! These guys lacked privacy between each other so of course they'd rib each other over any small thing. I can see Perona submitting to various websites fanart of her favorites XD Law is strong and mighty but now that he has something he actually fears because it's unknown to him, it's not something he can easily shake or hide. Kid is captain for a reason! (or was it only because of his first mate? I miss him, I can't wait to see more of Kid in OP) Law only knows cruelty and strength and he figures if it worked with him it'll work with Sanji; only it doesn't, and so he's out of wack with how to deal with his feelings with Sanji. The quartet grew up with each other but they were never put together to work with each other – so there will always be this sense of individuality to their actions. Law can say whatever he wants, but they won't follow him unless their own actions match up to what he said – they have to learn the hard way of their own actions. D: Thanks again for the comments!

 **Ariesdanger24:** I'm excited about it XD This feels like totally new territory!

 **: : Fourteen**

As night began winding in, most of the colonists began scurrying back to their homes. They looked at him first with fright, then dropped their gazes to recognize the fox leading the way. Law noticed the disdain upon seeing the animal. It deeply bothered him how their responses were so deliberate. He saw the way the fox's head hung, as if completely aware of the gazes turned down onto him but actively avoiding looking at anyone. It was old seeing an animal walk with a sense of shame, so Law kept reminding himself that this was an actual man with human emotions. When they reached Viola's house it was interesting to note the distance between the structure and the nearest neighbors, but he supposed it was her personality that caused tension with others.

The fox swept through a doggy door, and Law pushed the front door open just in time to see Rebecca greet Sanji cheerfully from the kitchen. When she saw him she scowled, dropping her empty pot onto the stove. Viola appeared from the back room with some freshly laundered sheets in hand, immediately tense upon seeing him.

Zoro snapped at him, "What did you do to me?"

Law looked over to his right to see him, Sanji's tail wagging cheerfully as he greeted his human companion. Because he couldn't swat him away or even move away from the fox's affection, Zoro sputtered. His limbs moved independently in effort but without the proper coordination, he was immediately covered with fox fur and a cold nose against his skin. Happy, the fox was then racing all over Zoro, exploring all his pieces and suddenly racing around the entire room with loud squawks and squeals. His tail moved rapidly with cheer, the volume of his voice near unbearable.

"Be lucky I didn't do away with you in the first place," Law told Zoro before movement caused him to look away quickly. He avoided a dish that Rebecca threw at him, the piece crashing into the wall.

" _All_ of you should have been left where you were found," Rebecca hissed. "Been nothing but trouble since you've arrived here!"

"And where did you take him?" Viola demanded moments later, snatching Sanji up and holding him, petting him affectionately. She noticed the bandages. "What happened to him? Who are you to be doing this to both of them?"

"Fix it!" Zoro insisted, struggling to get his arms moving.

" _Jesus_ ," Law muttered, feeling physically slapped by their rapid-fire questions. "All that matters is that I'm here, now. I have a question of my own."

"Any answer you get from us will be something you won't like," Viola guaranteed.

"Why aren't you part of the other houses?"

She frowned, glancing at the two.

He formed a Room as he waited for an answer.

"That's none of your business," Viola said tightly, looking to Rebecca. Her niece was moving towards her, Law catching sight of the sword she'd carried that night leaning against the wall.

As he put Zoro back together, Sanji scrambled out of her arms to run around Zoro. With his head, torso and arm attached, Zoro examined his partner with concern, frowning at Law moments later.

"Both of us were shot at on our way back," Law told her. "What I do is self-defense."

" _But_ \- !"

"I want a quality of life where someone isn't telling me what to do or that I should accept an injustice as part of the scenery. _You_ can choose to rebel in whatever way you're doing but it's not working, is it? Both of them are still regarded as scum for something they can't control."

"None of that don't bother us," Zoro told him.

"Because you're stupid and uneducated, and it's plain that neither of you know what's better for you," Law returned patiently. Zoro frowned at him pensively.

"What's in it for you?" Viola asked Law.

"I thought I'd already told you." Law finished putting on Zoro's head, then dissipated the Room while the wolf examined his attached limbs and body with relief. "If the colonists decided that these two were frightening, then they're going to look at us with similar terror. Yes we were created for war, but without a war, what the fuck are we supposed to do? Fitting in easily doesn't seem like an option now, does it?"

Viola considered this, watching as Zoro bent to pick up his companion. He was quiet, thinking about the words being exchanged.

"If you were bred for one thing and told one thing, I suppose it would be different," she said slowly. It was obvious she didn't want to agree to it but she found herself doing so anyway. "But on that note, knowing you're in a different environment, shouldn't that encourage you to at least try to fit in?"

"No," Law said simply.

Viola's face tightened at the lack of explanation. "A little understanding would be helpful!"

" _This_ ," he indicated the pair behind them, "is the first of our understanding if you consider our intentions on righting the wrongs. I'm sure that ginger idiot said the same thing."

Viola looked momentarily puzzled at 'ginger', but figured Law was speaking of Kid. "You use 'we' and 'our' – he uses 'I'."

Law's eyes narrowed slightly, a curl of his lips present. "It takes only a word to appease those looking for it as you do."

Viola frowned again. "I don't trust you."

"And you shouldn't." To the others he said, "Let's go."

"They're not going anywhere," Viola interrupted. "This is _their_ home."

"Then get out."

"They take care of the place for us while we're gone," Zoro interrupted before the woman could speak. "They're invited. You're not. _You_ go."

"I'm not going anywhere," Law said, crossing the room to the couch. He sat down as Sanji looked from him to the others with an anxious whine, ears lowered.

Zoro said, bent and snatched Sanji up to hold under one arm impatiently telling him to hush. Law switched Sanji out with one of the throw pillows, holding onto the fox tightly with both hands.

"Let him go!" Viola ordered sharply, indicating the distressed fox in Law's hands.

"He's going to have to change back if he wants me to," Law said.

Zoro's fists tightened. His swords were nowhere to be seen in the living room, and Rebecca hastily left the room. When she returned she had them bundled up in a blanket, tossing it to him. Law watched him unsheathe one, petting lightly on the trembling body underneath his hand. He told Zoro, "Fighting me will only put you on their side of things."

"None of us have nothing to do with your agenda," Zoro told him low. "We live how we want. If we keep sayin' ain't nothin' bothering us, then there ain't. _You're_ making a muck of things."

"If you cared about them so much, why not properly educate them?" Law asked Viola flippantly. "Sorting through their hick speak is a little difficult for me."

"It's _your_ personality that makes things difficult!" Viola hissed, marching towards him.

Before anything could happen, Rebecca grew alert to the sounds coming from outside. She hissed at them to be quiet, finger to her lips as she strained her ears to listen. Viola swept past Law to push the curtain aside, giving a low curse.

"It's Iceburg and his security team," she said, taking the chance to snatch Sanji from Law's grasp. Law let go because he needed both hands to communicate his thoughts and left the couch. Leaving them behind, he stalked outside to confront the man himself.

Iceburg looked upset as Law approached him from the yard's walkway. His security team lifted their guns in warning, the oxen snorting as they were held in place. Iceburg adjusted his suit firmly around himself then climbed out, a hand in the air to indicate lowering of weapons. The security team was armed with thicker body armor and with weapons that held longer magazines; nothing like what the guards at the gates were carrying.

"You've caused too much trouble, here," Iceburg said tightly, looking beyond him. "You, there. We've found the missing persons. Their deaths were ghastly."

Seeing that Iceburg was directing this beyond him, Law turned to see Zoro and Viola stepping out from the house, Rebecca standing with frustration inside the living room. Zoro wore a terse expression upon this declaration, Viola placing a hand on his shoulder.

"It wasn't his fault," Viola hissed. "If those men would have kept it in their pants - !"

Iceburg spoke sternly over her. "It doesn't matter what reason they were outside the walls, but killing senselessly of our valuable people - !"

"He didn't kill them, _I_ did," Law interrupted. "Did they look victims of a mauling, or were they so mashed into concrete that all you needed was a jar to collect what remained of them?"

Iceburg looked distressed, his hands fluttering around his suit once more before he composed himself stoically. "If you are a person with power, wouldn't it make sense to detain them for acceptable justice? Everyone inside these walls has a particular task - !"

Law held out the locket.

"This makes four," he said evenly, Iceburg taking it with a confused frown. He studied the contents inside, then looked puzzled. He passed it to the nearest guard with a hasty request to have it identified. "Two of your assassins were taken care of."

"Whatever are you talking about?" Iceburg snapped. "' _Assassins'_? There is none of that here!"

Law's hand lifted at his side, just subtle enough to make a formation. It was instantly shoved down as Sanji inserted himself between them, pulling his shirt collar tight as his disheveled appearance suggested hasty dressing. The loose shirt he wore had some patches at the elbow, his jeans old and worn, and he hadn't bothered with shoes.

"Iceburg, I can second his story on the shooters," Sanji said hurriedly. "They was there. Been there at least two days."

"I would not appoint shooters for such an evil task!" Iceburg snapped in outrage. "The colonists here are valuable, and I'm already alerted to the strengths of these new visitors – why would I risk _their_ lives to take yours?"

"You lies and excuses are pathetic," Law insisted, raising his hand and having Sanji impatiently forcing it to rest to his side as Law looked at him with warning. He was briefly distracted with the fox's human appearance – at the obvious wounds left behind over the past couple of days at his own hand.

"What is he doing?" Zoro muttered with some anxiety directed to his friend.

"People are afraid! They might act a little hasty, thinkin' they doin' some good, but it's fear that makes their thinkin' – " Sanji tried to say when Iceburg interrupted sharply with, "Then whose fault was it in the first place to cause this fear? Granted, I understand that people are afraid but I can't imagine them taking these risks! And who's to say that _you_ remember anything after the full moon – isn't both of you with spotty memory afterward? I can't take your word!"

"But all them people come here already out of sorts – it takes time to settle in! They got some issues, don't most survivors?"

"Just let Iceburg make his decision," Zoro called out with irritation. "There's no point tryin' to talk him of the bigger picture when his mind's set!"

"That's right!" Iceburg lifted his voice to be heard. "We _do_ accept survivors, most of them damaged by their travels from other territories! But none of them made the effort to attack colonists themselves! And you've already made most of the colonists upset with your demands and your unwillingness to fit in with the most basic tasks!"

"They just need time to change!" Sanji insisted. "Given a chance! Treated with anger all the time isn't helping - !"

Iceburg held a hand up, saying, "We've made accommodations for yourself and Roronoa – asking for more with this newer group will not settle with the colonists as a whole. They are _afraid_. They have a right to be. But having you speak for them won't hold any weight."

"How can you talk about the consideration of colonists as a whole when you completely disregard two of them?" Law asked.

"They are useful here because they contribute, however small," Iceburg interrupted. "Your group has not. Without contribution here to the colony how do you expect to live? Every colonist living here has a task, something to contribute to society as a whole and if you're not helping, then you're leeching!"

"You are unwilling to acknowledge and accept the problem I've exposed. I've come to the conclusion that there should be someone else more willing to work with my simple requests," Law said with irritation.

"Even if you should happen to replace me with 'someone else'," Iceburg said low, face reddening, "their needs would be _for_ the colonists – not against. _That_ is the colony's way of peace."

"Then no peace until wrongs are righted."

"Why is he so keen on defending us?" Zoro muttered to himself with trepidation.

"I understand what he's going for!" Viola said as she strode over to stand just off to the side of the pair glaring at each other. "I understand what he wants, and he's not going about it properly! Give it a little thought, Iceburg. Don't you think it a little odd that an _outsider_ would come in and see the problem immediately?"

"Ah, Viola, I believe you and I already settled this," Iceburg said with irritation, turning to the side.

"Nothing was settled because you _still_ speak up for those that commit the crime!" Viola snapped back at him.

"It was understood that they remove themselves from the colony every full moon, and will continue to do so if they want to continue living here!" Iceburg shouted impatiently.

"If this happened to a woman it'd be different, wouldn't it?" Viola shouted back.

"We can't compare colonists with superhumans! They're their own territory and, frankly, since neither of them complain, why is it up to someone else to do so on their behalf?"

Gritting his teeth, Law heard enough of Iceburg's refusal to listen. His hand lifted to create a Room when Sanji shoved it back down to his side, pushing him back a few steps. " _No_ ," he said firmly. "Attacking them is givin' weight to their fear."

"You idiot," Zoro mumbled impatiently of Sanji, his head shaking ever so slightly.

"He's already threatened the safety and peace of this colony, and there are upset family members left behind because of it!" Iceburg snapped back. "I'm going to make the decision to remove him from our walls. The others we'll have to deal with in a similar manner - "

"Doing this will make the other ones madder," Zoro spoke up, hands at his sides.

"Then shooting _him_ now will settle the situation, and show them that we mean business. Perhaps it'll convince them that staying here isn't an option," Iceburg said, making the signal. Several of the armed guards hurried forward, Sanji looking horrified at what looked to be a public execution. Zoro looked to him, Viola reluctantly taking his arm to pull him back. Iceburg heard the calls of approval rising from the colonists watching them from a safe distance.

"Doing this will be your final undoing," Law said with some satisfaction, comfortable with the confrontation. This was something he'd trained for, the threat of weaponry in his direction prompting a stand.

"This is my decision," Iceburg said firmly. "I have to think for the entire colony, not just for a select few. If this is how peace is obtained, then this is how it shall go. I'm sorry."

"You can't do this!" Sanji shouted desperately, watching the guards surround them with their guns lifted.

"If you refuse to see it my way, then you're in the way, Sanji," Iceburg said solemnly, glancing at those posted around them with an expression of confirmation.

"Get away from there!' Zoro snapped at Sanji, who looked to him with agitation. "They made their choice!"

Sanji's face screwed up with distress. " _I can't_ \- !" he protested, eyes darting around them.

"You _fool_!" Zoro shouted at him, ripping his arm away from Viola.

" _Shoot them both_!" Iceburg barked as the tension rose sharply.

After one last glance at Zoro, Sanji was on his hands. In a sharp display of motion and quick balancing, he sent most of the gunmen flying, their weapons falling when force made it difficult for them to hold onto. Seeing him move Zoro gave an unhappy growl, clothes ripping noisily as his form expanded. The very sight of the creature that gave fright to the colonists caused those watching to run immediately, panicking into the dark streets. Iceburg quickly turned and fled as the oxen reacted with terror. Viola and Rebecca quickly ran into the house for their own safety. Those that weren't fast enough quickly fell prey under the weight of Zoro's attack, his claws shredding through their armor amidst their panicked screams. Law watched with fascination as the creature tore through human faces and rendered them pulp before moving onto another, capturing a fleeing body with sharp teeth and shaking it about like a rag doll.

It was like watching a dog attack viciously, violent and profane but glorious at the same time. It was no wonder that men feared the creature so intensely that they closed themselves up in the walls just to avoid him, but at the same time sickening how they were also willing to place themselves into such danger just to violate another.

Without regards to his own safety, Sanji quickly wrapped his arms around the beast's neck, clinging to him as the werewolf caught scent of its prey. He reached out and settled a hand against the black nose, feeling the hot heat of Zoro's breath against his palm. Agitation settled upon that massive body, the beast pacing lightly on heavy feet as its pupils shrunk, tail flicking with reaction. Law was very still, watching as Sanji tamed the creature with just his presence. The oxen that were driven mad with fear had overturned their wagon, dragging it along the dirt road for some distance.

Zoro lowered himself to sprint after them, caught by the sight and smell of the fleeing creatures but Sanji held tightly onto his neck with one arm and kept his palm against his nose. After a few tense moments Zoro changed back, Sanji hopping away from him once he felt the transformation. With his clothes shredded, Zoro looked over the fallen with almost blank expression – as if accepting what happened with nothing more than a pinch of regret.

Disturbed, Sanji looked off to where everyone had fled. Their guns lay in disarray around them, the sound of the oxen hollering with distress in the dark distance. The cries of panicked colonists were filling the air as men shouting orders rang over that. He lowered his head with heavy feeling, frowning tightly.

"Zoro," Viola said quietly, approaching them from the house. She held a blanket, carefully holding it out to him before he took it with a heavy exhale. She reached up to touch his shoulder, compassion plain on her features. She didn't say anything but her presence spoke volumes in the acceptance of the situation. There was a sense of resignation in all of them, palatable feelings that Law felt but couldn't truly identify. They won the small battle with might alone so he didn't understand why they didn't display any victorious emotion to a win.

"Why aren't you satisfied?" he finally asked, his voice startling them. "Now they can listen to reason."

Viola then whipped her head around to glare at him. She took a few steps forward and unleashed a hard kick to his back, causing him to snarl as he made to get away from her.

"You _ruined_ this," she hissed hatefully at him. "Your bullishness caused them more trouble that can be fixed! Are you satisfied?"

"Maybe it was important for power to speak its place amongst the weak," he told her.

Glaring at him, she turned and strode away, to prod the pair to make their way into the house. Law continued to stand there in silence, mind buzzing with thoughts. He heard the crunch of gravel under heavy weight and looked over to see Kid peering out from one of the trees in the far left of the yard.

He snorted, which caused Law's scowl to grow weighty.

Stepping out from the trees, Kid observed the silence left behind. Behind him, Luffy and Perona tripped out from their position as well, pushing and shoving away from each other.

"Looks like talking didn't help," Kid said with a snicker. "Great negotiating skills you had going for you."

" _Shut up_."

"So, you got all of us kicked out before we even got to decide for ourselves what we were going to do."

"You'd already decided!"

"Yeah, but I was planning on a _nice_ approach, not the one you took," Kid scoffed. "You were lecturing us on approaching this rationally but you got the entire colony drawing up arms and feeding them into a panic to cause a retaliation."

Huffing, Law turned away from him. Perona caught up to Kid, exhaling heavily with her hands on her knees.

She laughed noisily. "What an idiot! Hypocritical jerk! If you'd just hung back and let those guys talk, nothing would have happened. You ruined it for yourself!"

"Yeah," Kid added, furrowing his brow. "You're so deadset on getting your way, you _argued_ your side like these people can be reasoned with!"

Law remembered Sanji forcing his hands down during the confrontation. He wondered how much Kid and the others had seen. Down the road he was aware of men growing bold enough to look in their direction. The shouts of the wolf being gone either prompted bravery or a panicked retreat by alerting others in the community to flee.

"So, we're doing this together?" Kid asked. "Is that it?"

' _We'_ , Law repeated mockingly in his own thoughts. But he said, "Unless we want to execute a very hostile takeover, but what is that going to do for us? The colonists will either die at our feet or run and die outside the walls instead. Knowing nothing of this environment or how to run things won't do a thing for us on our own."

"I knew all that!" Kid snapped irritably at him. "But because you couldn't reason with them like a smart person would, we all have to live with the consequences of _your_ actions. What would Sengoku and your precious Cora have to say about you, now?"

With that he followed after the others, kicking the door down with a shout for Zoro to pay attention to him. Glaring at his back, Law felt regret. He felt let down and angry at himself for losing control of the situation – he should've just killed Iceburg right then and there without waiting to hear his excuses, but he didn't understand why he didn't follow that instinct.

Perona was humming to herself as she observed the bodies left behind. Walking up to one as her face shifted to reveal her mask, she reached down and touched the back of a man that was missing half of his head. His entire body twitched, limbs jerking as she re-animated him. She chuckled as the body continued to respond to her.

"My newest children," she purred cheerfully, reaching out and touching another.

Law didn't care what she did with these bodies. He wasn't in control of her actions but he had the thought that the others' response to whatever Iceburg threw at them was their own doing, and nothing to do with him.

Amidst the noise in the house with everyone voicing their opinions, Law could hear the colonists gearing themselves up to approach again. Down the road and near the foot bridge, those that had thought to arm themselves with weaponry and the guards' guns were slowly making their way over. He was distracted when Sanji left the house, approaching him bitterly. Perona was still focused on re-animating the bodies, ignoring them.

Law frowned at him. For a few moments he was caught by the feeling of warmth that shot through him at seeing Sanji's human form again. He was struck by how mesmerized he still felt looking upon that open expression, the way his hair glowed softly from the lights. It was such an unfamiliar reaction that his own thoughts on the matter briefly left him.

Sanji's breath sounded shaky and labored, wearing such a frustrated expression that it seemed he was battling his own reactions. He said, "My life wasn't worth the short end of yours. If you'd've just let things be – "

"Do you remember anything at all?" Law asked instead, hearing shouts build from near the footbridge.

"No, not after changing," Sanji mumbled. With what looked like shame, he added, "But your scent is all over mine. That's – "

"I told you I wouldn't like it if I'd seen you with other men. And I didn't, so you were removed."

"…You saw…? Look, because of that, it wasn't worth this. But I stepped in cuz I thought I could reason – it don't mean nothing now. But it's over for us. We won't be allowed here any longer. Causing more harm to the colony would only be senseless slaughter – "

"I'm not leaving until I'm adjusted to this world," Law said. "All I'd asked was a smaller alteration fitting to my decision. Whatever the others do is on their own."

"Look at them!" Perona cried, drawing their attention. In one moment, those she'd re-animated struggled to their feet, causing an expression of horror to Sanji's face as he watched the formerly dead arise. Their grunts and expulsions of hot air changed to short exchanges of chittering that seemed noisy in the cold air. Limbs twitched and shoulders jerked as heads shook unsteadily. "Aren't they beautiful? My cuddly babies are so eager to please their mama!"

She laughed loudly, skirts fluttering as she skipped around them, examining them with a beaming sense of pride.

Law reached out and forced Sanji's attention back to him as skipping turned to jumping jacks, the ghosts mimicking her with clumsy action.

"It's time you learn that only the strong determines power over others."

Sanji jerked his chin out of his grasp, glaring at him. "That's how you came to be, but isn't that what you're trying to escape? Power over you? Zoro and I ain't like you. We only wanted peace."

"Then peace is made in these ways! That's why you were rejected!"

"It's still wrong," Sanji mumbled uneasily as he watched as Perona pointed outwards, her ghosts suddenly stumbling into intense running.

" _I'm_ going to be the one that ends this," she said with a smirk directed towards Law.

After some consideration, he tucked his hands into his pockets. "We still need them to survive, or do you expect to feed on the spoils that won't last long?"

"I can convince them better of what we want. It's not necessarily what you want, but what I want," Perona said haughtily. "I want a comfortable life without lifting a finger to do something unpleasant. If my negotiations don't settle well, then I doubt any of yours could, either."

"Listen up, fox!" she then said to Sanji, turning to look at him. There were new screams arising from near the footbridge, as her ghosts began attacking the living. Gunshots ran out, and the snarls and chatter of her ghosts began to overwhelm the shrieks of the newly dying. "We were made for war. We were taught that strength matters – the better weapons you have, the better edge in winning. If this is what it takes to make us comfortable, then I'll do what it takes to make it easier for me. But it benefits you, too. In the morning, they'll look at you with respect and not disgust."

Sanji didn't agree with her. He felt frozen from the inside out as the screams grew. The number of ghosts began to overwhelm those that had lingered for a retaliation strike. Law watched him; he didn't understand how someone could feel so much for others that were willing to turn their heads to the wrongs being done to him. It frustrated him that Sanji couldn't see Law's point of view. But he also thought that there was beauty in his defeat – the wilt of his shoulders, the trapped expression on his face. It gave Law a sense of satisfaction.

Maybe once he saw that life could be easier for him after this, maybe then he'd give Law approval.

: :

Kid watched Zoro stare pensively out of the window. He wasn't sure what the other man was thinking or feeling as he continued to clutch the blanket around himself but there was a sense of giddiness in Kid's chest that felt odd and uncomfortably new. He was sure it was because he respected the other man for his strength and power as the beast, and he marveled over how different each was from each other. Zoro was so tiny compared to the wolf form Kid battled, but at the same time Kid recognized the strength the man possessed as a man. There was something changed about the way he held himself when he was alone – without Sanji or Ussop nearby, he just seemed to radiate something _different_.

Luffy was attacking the kitchen supplies with a racket that was almost distracting; Rebecca and Viola had disappeared, and Kid didn't care about their whereabouts or intentions.

He took a step forward, the creak of the floor causing Zoro to look in his direction from the corner of his eye. Kid felt warned not to approach any closer, and he hated the feeling of hesitation right after that. Blustered, he said, "So you change at will, because it ain't a full moon anymore, huh? I did some research on your condition. For your sake, I don't think I'll be transforming any time soon."

Zoro didn't say anything, but his brow furrowed with some question. His shoulders tightened.

"You don't remember?" Kid asked with some insult. "We fought a bad-ass battle – you only won because all these muscles demanded more oxygen than I can give. I'm sure that'll change with some time once I get used to the place. Then maybe we can fight again, see whose more stronger."

"We won't," Zoro said stiffly. "If there is a battle, it's to the death."

"You tried killing me, but you couldn't, so…" Kid found himself twiddling his thumbs and quickly lowered them to his sides. "Look, it's impressive. You've got power and skill, why are you letting these people toss you around like this? It's stupid and weak."

"I live here."

"It's a crappy place to live! With your strength, it could be a different way of life! People actually _fear_ you, you can use that to gain respect. Forget about that other guy, just focus on you, eh? You're the one they actually causes terror. I think that if you just focused on yourself you could life a pretty comfortable life."

"That's not the way I see it. That's not what I want. I don't want to live where people are afraid of me for something I am. If there were another way about it, I'd be ok."

"But it'd be easier!" Kid insisted. "Look, I think you're smarter than you actually are, and you can see reason. Look where shit's going right now. That guy out there thinks talking to people to change their minds about you two would work, and look where it went. No where. He's dumb. And your friend is useless when you think about it – "

He did not see where Zoro pulled a sword from but the tip of it was pressed hard against Kid's neck. When he involuntarily swallowed from the feel of it, his skin stung as it opened slightly.

"He does some stupid stuff, but he saved your life," Zoro said tersely. "So don't forget it. Without him, you'd still be in those con-taint-ment units."

Kid held up his hands to gesture that he got it. Zoro eased the blade slightly but not enough for Kid to pull away with it. He hoped Luffy wasn't paying attention to this, Luffy would never let him forget it.

"I'm no one's tool," Zoro added sharply, arm unwavering as he gave Kid a warning look. "My decisions are my own. But it ain't to say that I'm unwilling to listen to others."

"You were a former slave, right?" Kid asked cautiously. "Think of it as we were, too. They used us for shit. So we got common ground. Maybe our views are different from yours, but we're on the same side!"

"Are we really?" Zoro looked back out the window. Perona was long gone now, but Law was still talking to Sanji in a way that only made the hairs on the back of Zoro's neck rise. He hadn't had a chance to talk to Sanji but it appeared the fox had made his own decision based off these past few days. He didn't like it.

They were kids when they arrived here. Sanji was a fox when they met, and Zoro had thought he'd just found a very companionable animal friend while he wandered the wastelands on his own. So the attachment was formed during those days, and when Sanji finally revealed himself as human, Zoro couldn't find it in himself to reject his company. Especially when it was apparent that they shared some characteristics – they had a bond. Animal or human, it was there and it forced decisions opposite of what Zoro would have done if he were on his own.

They were products of experimentation themselves, so he understood the quartet's side of things. But he didn't fit into their methods, their thought. Things were changing and he didn't know how much, but it was apparent this life was over.


	15. Chapter 15

**AriesDanger24** : Kid is definitely interested so it'll be funny to see how he conducts himself as he explores himself with this turn of events.

 **Penumbra** : Law needs to learn to 'be nice' D: And Kid wants attention but he isn't sure of the 'right' way to go about it, nor does he know what to do with it. They weren't taught to play nicely with their things; they'll learn the hard way that these 'things' cannot be replaced if mistreated.

 **: : Fifteen**

Zoro was quiet as he reflected out the front window, Sanji's and Luffy's voices in the background. It was a whole two days since the confrontation with Iceburg and the other team, and the colony's tension had been nearly suffocating. Everyone took a wide berth around their place on their routes to work or to the fields, yet armed guards milled around the area with worried glances their way.

Iceburg had approached them yesterday with talks of truce – if they could calm their attacks on the colonists, then they would be left alone. They could work out a deal where Iceburg would identify the motives behind the 'assassination attempts' and bring those responsible for the full moon attacks to acceptable justice. It was a shaky start to peace but it left Zoro and Sanji in an uncomfortable position. Both of them felt uneasy and insecure with being included in the quartet's demands; neither of them agreed to their inclusions, to the forceful way they insisted that the colony change their peace to fit theirs.

Zoro wasn't sure what the four wanted – all of them still couldn't adjust to the newness of the world and its loose morals, requirements and food. But they got their way through force and intimidation; without contributions that they could've used to earn the colonists' trust. Perona spent her days fashioning outfits and making demands that seemed outrageous; her ghosts stood motionless in an empty field near the far border walls, rotting under the red sun and causing a smell that was almost unbearable to those around them. The sight of them made field workers uneasy, with loved ones upset that they weren't able to bury their dead. It was taking some negotiating from Iceburg to have them buried where they were to at least make the area's breathing space bearable, and he was doing so by providing her with the items she demanded. It caused resentment amongst the colonists that made this peace a far-off dream.

Luffy's food demands were driving the food production area into struggling to keep up with his appetite, and his presence at the kitchens and food marts were causing stress. But he was difficult to negotiate with as his instinctive nature disregarded peaceable reason and understanding. While not actively a threat like the others were, he often showed up in places he shouldn't during his exploring, unintentionally caused damage with his entrances and exits, and caused unease in the colonists – they felt he was similar to an untamed animal who would bite without prompt.

Law was regarded cautiously, but since Iceburg had appeased him a little with his promises to find those who used the full moon's change to unjustifiable action, he seemed to keep to himself. He was still pinning together the mystery of their last day and spending time at the library, but Zoro didn't trust him; the older man seemed to be possessive of Sanji in a way that bordered on dangerous. Zoro wasn't sure how to feel about it – on one hand he was relieved that his companion would be left alone from these cruel injustices but Sanji himself seemed conflicted with the attention. At the same time Sanji seemed to absorb the attention like a sponge; it had been some time since anyone regarded him with any sort of warmth so Zoro thought he was mistaking the possession for kindness. It was difficult to get the truth out of him because Sanji was determined to be positive about the group's settling into colony life.

Kid was a problem on his own – he was like a child seeking attention from someone he idolized and Zoro didn't like the attention he received from him. The tall 'ginger' seemed to be obsessed with his shapeshifting capabilities and constantly pressed him for answers; Zoro wasn't sure if he was scared he'd change into something like him or he genuinely was in awe of the ability. It wasn't something that Zoro was proud to discuss – he could will himself into the other form upon his own demand but the unsettling emptiness in memory afterward was something he had trouble escaping. It felt wrong to not know what he'd done until someone talked to him afterward about it; these things he did as a mindless animal was so opposite of the way he was as a human so any loss of control over his own action was like accepting the actions of a person he trusted.

But Kid's attention felt wrong – it made Zoro uncomfortable to be an object of fascination for another man. It bordered on affection and Zoro wasn't sure how to feel about that. There had been times when new survivors coming into the colony without information on the pair would develop a 'fancy' for them then back off once they learned the truth. So Zoro wasn't clueless to the attention; as human beings it was normal to feel a little lonely and unwanted by things they couldn't control. It would have made sense to turn to each other for comfort but there was an unnatural feeling in that concept; a sense of species disconnect because of the animals they were bonded with. It just didn't work for a fox and a wolf to 'fall in love'. Both of them had accepted that they'd be alone but it wasn't something that they wanted; Sanji had a lot to give and it showed in his actions and Zoro had doubted he'd have anything to give because he was more reserved and testy. But he wouldn't lie to himself – he did look upon those working relationships he saw around him and wish for something as manageable as that. To be accepted, supported and nurtured into being a better person; these things were nice to have but not something easily given to someone like him.

So in that aspect, Zoro could see why Sanji was accepting of the attention Law gave him, no matter how wrong it was.

But for him to accept Kid's made Zoro feel uncomfortable because of the wrongness of the situation, and because it seemed like even Kid didn't know what he was doing.

"I'll do it!" Sanji finally snapped, drawing his attention from the window to see that Luffy's face was bright with a wide grin, standing up on the counter where he was perched. "Shut up and leave me be! I can't even think right with you in my face!"

" _Breakfast_!" Luffy shouted cheerily.

"We got nothing here," Sanji muttered, slamming the icebox shut as he glared up at the boy. "You ate everything! Ain't matter what!"

"You going to the market?" Zoro asked warily.

"I can," Sanji said. "Ain't no sound or hair from Viola or Rebecca."

Since the pair often disappeared for days on end on their own agenda, Zoro had to shrug. The women would provide them with food to make everyone comfortable; the pair would pay them with their earnings from Robin in thanks.

"I'll do this on my own – Ussop supposed to be back with that thing he wanted to bring over," Sanji said, rolling up his jean hems before pulling on his worn boots.

"What was he supposed to get?" Zoro asked, uneasy with the thought of letting his friend wander off alone.

"I wanna go!" Luffy whined, hopping down from the counter. "I want to help!"

"No! You stay here, you cause a ruckus that'll only bring us trouble," Sanji snapped at him. To Zoro he answered, "Said it was a map. He found it in the archives, Robin wants us to see. Plus, if'n you stay here with this one, you can keep him out of trouble."

Zoro shot Luffy an annoyed look as the teen looked from one to the other with a shrug. "What am I supposed to do with him?"

"Zoro, turn into a wolf and let's wrestle," Luffy suggested, lighting up as he left the kitchen to wander over to him.

"Why don't you stay at your own place?" Zoro complained, foot out to stop him from advancing on him.

"It's so _boring_ there!" Luffy whined, arms dragging as Sanji grabbed the pail from underneath the sink. It was large, something he could fill with whatever he could find from the market. While most of the colony's food production was distributed equally amongst the colonists monthly, the market was from those independently growing their own food for distribution. The pair had learned to rely on their trips outside the wall to feed themselves, or on Viola's contribution – they were the living poor due to their status. Their mistreatment caused by the colonists' scorn had the quartet determined to change it, and it was something Zoro couldn't quite get comfortable with. To be forcefully accepted by the newcomers' demands wasn't an easy concept.

"Hanging with you guys is more funner. Hey, are we going outside, yet?" Luffy asked as Sanji pulled on his foxskin scarf and left the house with a slam of the door. Zoro turned his head to watch him leave, that feeling of uneasiness filling him once again. He doubted the colonists would be quick to deny him after Iceburg's call for peace and the threat of the newcomers' actions if they learned of any mistreatment caused to them. Watching him go was like watching a younger sibling leave his sight for the first time. "Hey, let's go outside! I thought you guys go outside a lot!"

"Robin usually has us doing so, but she ain't got anything for us to do if that guy's taking up her time at the library," Zoro muttered in response, scratching behind one ear. "'Sides, Ussop's coming over, and he gots something for us."

"Then can we go outside?"

" _I dunno_ I just said!"

"Ugh, this is so _boring_!" Luffy cried, sitting on the floor. Zoro glanced at him from the corner of his eye – Perona's outfits were outlandish and unpractical, and she'd dressed the boy in some black shorts with chains at the pocket, as well as a striped shirt with a vest and boots that were already scuffed at the edges. He was instructed to wear some sort of top hat but that hat had gone missing already. "I wanna do something!"

"Go count the sentry towers, or something," Zoro muttered, crossing his arms tightly.

"I don't want to do that, that's boring. Counting is so dumb…plus they always get all jumpy when I'm walking around and when they start pointing guns at me I get all angry. I'm like The Hulk, man, I'll smash."

Zoro had no idea who 'The Hulk' was. "Then I dunno what to do for you."

"Listen," Luffy said, crossing his ankles to give him a serious look, "I understand that it's a hassle to keep us occupied but all I ask is that since you're used to this life, you'd have more things to suggest that I do."

"I never baby sat before."

Kid walked in at that moment, giving a disappointed frown. The sound of his stomach growling caused a rumble that made Luffy's answer with the same sort of demand.

"This is unreasonable," Kid muttered, hand to his stomach as he wilted. "I thought there'd be breakfast ready by the time I got here."

"Sanji said he was going to make it when he came back," Luffy assured him as his stomach rumbled noisily, causing him to tilt back onto his hands with a wince. "I'm _dying_ here. The kitchen didn't drop off food this morning?"

"They did, but I didn't save anything for you," Kid grumbled as he sat down shakily. "All it was was just soup, and that ain't nothing."

"I hate flavored water," Luffy muttered with a heavy expression. "Zoro, how do you guys live like this? Without true sustenance like pancakes, _real_ bacon, biscuits and gravy - ?"

"Don't know what that all is," Zoro grumbled.

Kid brightened. "That's right! I found those cookbooks from the library! Sanji could do something with them, right?"

" _That's it_!" Luffy cried. "Where are they?"

"At our place."

"I'll go get them, and he can use it to make that stuff when he comes back!" Luffy said, climbing to his feet and racing off with an excited expression.

"Oh man, I hope so," Kid muttered, rubbing his stomach. He then looked around. "Where is he, anyway? Trafalgar drag him off somewhere?"

"He went to the food market," Zoro mumbled, feeling his brow grow heavy as he once again resumed looking outside. "Your beardsplitter ate everything."

"His metabolism is faster than most," Kid said. He found it weird how happy he was to have the wolf's company all to himself. Just seeing the man made his stomach twitch with some warmth that he mistook for his current hunger. Zoro was just sitting in one of the chairs in the living room with a pensive expression, cross already with just Luffy's company. In a plain brown shirt with free leather ties that had sleeves wrapped to his forearms with more ties and some urban camo pants, he seemed to blend in with their rustic furniture. His swords were sitting in his lap; they were ever constant and bright against his clothing choices. His green hair stood out against the plain settings.

Kid wanted to compare him to Rambo or some other grim-faced action hero back in his day, but he couldn't decide who. Plus it made him feel weird to be so admiring of the other man but he couldn't seem to hold back.

"But it'd really help out if we had more filling things. Eating the shit here hasn't been something easy for us to adjust to. That's pretty much why you guys are so fucking tiny."

"Then force adjust," Zoro mumbled, picking at his earrings.

Kid couldn't help but be drawn to that small detailing. He wondered where Zoro had gotten his ears pierced, what the chimes actually meant since he saw no one else with that type of piercing. "Is that what you had to do? When you were a slave – "

"I don't exactly talk about that."

" _Listen_ ," Kid said, hand making a gesture, "yours is a similar story to ours! We can bond this way."

"I don't want to bond over anything."

"Whether you like it or not, we're in this together you know."

"Not by my choice," Zoro grumbled. "Ya'll forcing it."

"What's wrong with identifying with each other? Why do you keep fighting this?"

"Cuz I don't agree to your methods. We was living fine until ya'll popped in and decided you liked nothing about our lives."

"I don't get it!" Kid said with exasperation, frame slumping in his chair. "I don't get how you guys can just be accepting of this lifestyle! Both of you are shunned from freaking everything, and no one likes you – they tolerate you because of the archeologist! If it weren't for her, you'd be outside, right?"

"We'd find another colony. There are some out there – I passed through at least three before settlin' here."

"In the wastelands, right? Were they like this place?"

"No," Zoro answered, thinking about them. "I ain't remembering much because it was so long ago, but they none of them like this one. They were constantly under attack by each other."

"I'm thinkin' with how this colony treats us, they can't be that big of a strong hold," Kid said. "Because if they were, they would've put more effort in trying to remove us."

"It's the location. None travel by sea because of the creatures out there – "

"Like big ass sharks and krakens?"

"I dunno what those are. I ain't ever been there."

"I want to see other places," Kid said thoughtfully. "Somethin' that gives me an actual motivation. This place is nothing – wasting away on nothing, no motivation – "

"There's nothing wrong with this life," Zoro interrupted. "Making it out like life has to entertain you constantly ain't a way to live."

"Then you got no goals," Kid said. "When you don't have any goals, what's the point?"

"Not being used is one of them, you'd agree to that."

"I do, but not having much to live for ain't a way to live, either!"

"Then if you were living in your time, what would you be doing?"

Kid sighed heavily, rolling his eyes to the ceiling to think about it. "I loved metal music. There doesn't seem to be anything resembling that nowadays. All the concerts of all the bands I ever liked – seeing movies in actual theaters, actually interacting with civilians! Being involved in community life, cruising the malls, living life knowing that no one around me can stop me."

"So, basically a lawless life?"

Kid shrugged. "I don't know. Those times were much more structured than this one. Crime wasn't acceptable and with the power the military had back then, I doubt I would've done much to draw their attention. I'd have to hide myself, fit in like a regular civilian. I don't have to live that way like this. I can be whatever I want but without the things I want. So it's tough having to switch my mindset like that."

Zoro thought about it a little – in a way he could relate. He was something that others feared with power at his hands but he wanted to fit in to escape being used as a tool for someone's use. There was that identification with the four – they had been crafted to be used as tools at others' disposal. They didn't want to fit in, but this timeline gave them nothing to identify with.

"See, that's how we fit in with you guys," Kid then insisted again.

"Not so much. We got motivation. We just want to live comfortably without trouble."

"Where's the adventure in that?"

"We get plenty of it here. Outside the walls it takes a lot more to survive."

"I get that, but having no idea how to live outside of them is something that holds us back! I want to be out there to see what else is available, but I can't do it without your help!"

"That's the problem, then. Because I refuse."

"I know, and it bugs the shit out of me!" Kid complained, dragging his hands through his hair. "It would make sense if you were tired of this life and being treated like this, but you guys find it acceptable! And once the colony starts accepting you, you're not going to want to do anything at all!"

Zoro shrugged. "Then there ain't anything to hold you back from learning this all on your own."

"There is, I don't want to die a cheap death! Starving because I don't know what's suitable to eat, and whatever I catch probably won't be something I'll even like," Kid said bitterly.

"If they'll let you catch them at all," Zoro said with a smirk. "Animals ain't what you're used to. You're the prey, not them."

Kid scoffed, crossing his arms stiffly over his chest. He was wearing a bright maroon shirt with billowy sleeves, a black leather vest loosely tied around his middle, and some pants that were reflective of scales in light yellow and maroon. Garish and painful to take in overall – he had his hair pinned back with a half ponytail that looked ridiculous. He'd be a walking target out in the streets with the animals seeing him from miles away. He was slowly losing his girth and leaning out with his lack of strenuous activity and self-imposed 'starvation'; the longer he hung around them, the less imposing he was than when Zoro first met him. While the sight of him caused the colonists uneasiness, Zoro just felt irritation build up inside of him because Kid was so persistent and Zoro didn't have enough patience with him most of the times.

"So even if Iceburg's truce continues to allow you guys a better way of life here, you wouldn't bother leaving, would you?" Kid asked with a heavy expression. "Then it'd be up to us to take you by force."

"It's not that easy," Zoro told him petulantly. "Because I won't go."

"What if your friend decides he wants to?"

"He ain't gonna, either. Ain't no reason for him, to."

"That heat, eh?" Kid questioned with a face. "Well, I mean! If he's out there there isn't going to be much of a response since there's no one out in the wastelands, right? Don't it make more sense being where people can't access him than being inside of a place like this?"

"We both want to live where we can be accepted, not used."

"Ugh, this again…"

"It's a simple dream, we're not complicated."

"Can't you just leave him? Trafalgar isn't going to let him out of his sight, and convincing him to leave isn't working either! Argh, so _frustrating_! I want to get out of here!"

"Then go!"

"Not without fucking help!"

"We had to learn how to do this as children – "

"But you got your freaky-dink powers! Animals are easier to adapt to these conditions than humans from another time are!"

"Those excuses ain't anything to me. If you want to survive, you'd do what it took, you meater."

Kid gave him a cranky expression before Zoro felt a flash of wrongness travel through him. He instantly sat up to look out the window, feeling a race of adrenaline course through him. All instincts on alert, he touched his swords and had the image of the market place suddenly pop up in his thoughts as Kid asked him something that went unheard.

He hurried outside, hearing Kid call after him impatiently. He was aware that Kid was following him with an exasperated complaint, and Zoro ignored him as he headed for the footbridge. The guards weren't to do anything but report in on their activities, so they shuttled out of the way with radios in hand as they passed by. Luffy was on his way back with an armful of books, and when he caught sight of them racing off, he quickly hurried after them while balancing the books carefully under one arm.

The market place was located on a wide street within the center of the living area. It boasted of staggered walkways into opened face buildings with visible layers of rooms that were accessible by metal winding stairways. Along the street level were stands manned by colonists that were still wearing their job uniforms, with benches set out to allow a weary shopper to sit and rest. The mixed smells were of heavy spices, greens, and smoky grills for on the spot meals. Every time Kid passed through here he expected to find the scent of hamburgers, fast food and was disappointed every time.

There were people everywhere – looking for food, home supplies, clothing, whichever their money called for – but there was also a lull in activity. He saw that people were looking towards the center of the street, and his height advantage allowed him to see over the heads of colonists as they were gazing in that direction. People were forming a circle towards what looked to be a tofu stand, and the family manning it looked distinctively nervous as they caught sight of the trio.

Once attention was raised to their appearance, people shuffled quickly into various directions. Zoro hurried forward, occasionally shoving aside a slow moving colonist and came up to the circle. He saw Sanji lying in the dirt, with a scatter of stones around him. There was a thick piece of wood laying over his bloodied head, the pail's contents scattered away from him. Everyone was silent, revealing nothing as he hastily reached his side. Without question, he picked up his companion and hurried off to a side alley while Kid and Luffy looked on with dawning dismay.

"You're not going to go ape shit on these guys?" Kid called after him incredulously. He couldn't imagine not retaliating after finding such a crime, but then again he wasn't sure if he'd ever have such motivation to do so. It wasn't as if he were close to the other three to want to fight for their lives. He was disappointed that the beast would keep himself human to react humanely in this troubling moment.

"Aw," Luffy sighed. "That would've been cool to see."

Kid scanned the crowd's faces as a continued sense of silence hung over the entire area. The colonists were waiting to see what they'd do rather than explain what happened, and Kid was unbelieving to this community display of stillness. Looking over what was available, the stones spoke the story – the bloodied piece of wood was broken and suggested more than one hit. It was a gruesome scene to come upon and he felt incredulous that no one was going to confess what happened. The scattered stones came from the north direction and not from around, and those that were possible witnesses either hid their expressions or continued to watch him with dumb alarm.

Luffy looked over the scene then looked at him. "We're not going to eat any time soon, eh? I'm starving. Should we get something from here first?"

"Will you stop thinking with your stomach?" Kid asked him impatiently before raising his voice to bellow, " _What the fuck happened here_?"

Faces looked away, some coughs erupting in random directions as more blank stares settled into his direction. Kid felt frustrated that this sort of thing would happen – he was convinced that those living in his time would be quick to say something, to intervene or do _something_ to help. Instead everyone was willing to say nothing to give away the perpetrators and he couldn't help but think how unfair it was that he was regarded as a monster.

"Oh, none of you can speak, huh?" he asked, looking around himself while Luffy awkwardly shifted the books from one arm to the other. "You all lost your damned voices, eh?"

Those that he made eye contact with quickly looked away, and those that were brave enough stared blankly back at him.

There were guards present but they weren't willing to say anything, either. An oxen made a braying noise from somewhere up the street while some kids clustered together before being made to run off.

He looked at the guards that were standing on street level and saw them quickly look at their weapons, then at each other while ignoring his stare. Luffy hurried away from him, taking the same side alley Zoro had. Kid couldn't see them so he assumed Zoro took Sanji back to the house. Spotting the pail, he walked over to it while the colonists quickly gave him a path to walk without blocking him. He pulled it to his grasp, growing upset as he saw the wilted greens, vaguely spotted tofu blocks sloppily wrapped in plastic. There were packages of spices and some roots but what bothered him was that it felt as though he were looking through someone's discarded trash.

He was positive that this was another form of colonist harassment towards the fox and he held up the pail with an enraged shout. "This is fucking _pig's_ food! All of you assholes are fucking unbelievable! What, you couldn't give up the good stuff because you think he don't deserve it?"

"Calm down," one of the guards nearby said uneasily. "Look, you're upsetting the people here, you should – "

"'Calm down'?" Kid repeated between gritted teeth. He threw the pail at him, the metal clang of it causing a loud clatter in the heavy silence. " _YOU_ CALM DOWN! And _I'm_ the one _upsetting_ people? Someone here attacked one of our companions, gave him shitty food, and none of you are saying anything to who did it, and _you_ want _me_ to _calm_ _the fuck down_?"

"We'll find who did it," the guard assured him with a hand up. "We don't need violence here. There's too many scared people, it'll cause a stampede and injury. Let us sort this out."

"This situation affects me, you see?" Kid said, walking towards him. The guard seemed to tremble a little as the taller man grew closer, lifting his gun hastily. "Don't point that gun at me. That's a mistake you'll live with _if_ I let you live. But you see, that fox was gonna make me breakfast. I'm fucking starving, and you killed him, you got it? So now I'm hungry _and_ pissed, and you're going to stand there and _tell me to calm down_?"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I'll let Iceburg know right away what happened, he'll find out immediately, we can fix this," the guard said quickly, looking for back up as he took a few steps away from him. Scared colonists swiftly scuttled out of the way, abandoning walkways and stands while those standing in the street quickly began moving for exits. A rising panic began to lift as voices called out for a quick retreat.

"Oh, you're going to tell that guy what happened and he's going to fix it? Then to compensate for _my_ troubles, I'm taking whatever food I need," Kid said, veering away and looking at the abandoned stands around him. He really didn't know what to retrieve, and this frustrated him even further. He didn't want to grab just anything and be made a fool of if it were the wrong thing, so he snarled and hit the stand's supportive pole with a punch. The metal bent under the force and the overhang tumbled down slowly, crashing against the table and shelves with a crack of sound.

He gestured at the guard. "He was supposed to get food, so bring food to our house. And none of this pig shit you were trying to send him with. And if he spent any money for what's there on the ground, I want it fucking compensated! _Is that clear_?"

The guard nodded with an upset expression as Kid looked back at those that were still watching safely from a distance.

He then said just loud enough for them to hear, "I _might_ be a saint today. I won't be this afternoon if my demands aren't met. But someone _better_ speak up now before _he_ comes back here and does away with all of you, and _maybe_ I might intervene!"

He'd let them sort that out amongst themselves and made the walk back to the house at the edge of the community. Once inside, he saw Luffy sitting grimly on a chair – books on his lap – watching as Zoro and Ussop hastily worked to clean Sanji's wounds. A glance over their bent heads told Kid that the fox's right temple was split and swollen, bruising causing that eye to swell until it was only a slit of color. Blood colored his hair and ears, and Ussop's hands were trembling as he washed a rag that dripped with color.

"Law's going to be _so_ pissed," Luffy whispered to Kid. "He's not waking up."

"Hey, I made some demands," Kid told the pair working on the fox. "I told them they better bring us food or else. And one of those guards said they'd get this message to Iceburg so Iceburg better fix it before Trafalgar gets back."

"That's not going to assure us of anything," Ussop said tentatively. "Nobody said a thing?"

"Of course not! They suddenly lost their damned voices! If Iceburg is truly the leader he says he is, he'll get the information quick before Trafalgar gets back," Kid said stiffly. He gave a heavy of exasperation as Luffy made a face. "And we all know how much of a bitch that guy can get if he feels he's wronged."

"Hide the matches," Luffy told Ussop with a serious nod.

Before anything else could be said, there was a couple of knocks on the door before Iceburg let himself in, sweating with his efforts. He moved to the couch without invitation to look over Ussop and Zoro and winced noticeably before removing a handkerchief to wipe his forehead.

"I'll send for doctors," he said hastily. "Let me get to the bottom of this – no interference from your end, let's keep this peaceful. This was definitely the fault of the colonists - "

"Oh, we got all the confidence in the world with you," Kid told him sarcastically. "If you can make it before Trafalgar gets back, there won't be a problem. Add to it, he was supposed to cook us something to eat and this guy here won't be satisfied until he's fed. So we need food here quick."

Iceburg looked hassled but he nodded to show that he was listening and hurried out as quickly as he'd come in, shouting commands. Kid looked to Ussop and Zoro, then to the still form on the couch. Ussop had bandages he'd pulled out from his bag and was doing his best to wrap the most serious of wounds. With the heavy sense of stillness in the air, Kid reflected on what happened. He scowled deeply, crossing his arms over his chest while Luffy's fingers drummed atop of the cookbooks he still held.

"I can't believe this," Kid muttered low to himself. "Why's that guy got the reputation already? Using _his_ name as threat…what the fuck. This is fucked up. I'm the baddest one out of all of you, but we're using _his_ name to threaten these jerks. Pisses me off."

"I hope he wakes up, soon," Luffy said with a sigh. "I'm freaking hungry. I was looking forward to breakfast."

"If he's dead, it's not going to matter! Someone busted a 4x8 across his head and wouldn't have stopped if he wasn't!"

"He's _not_ dead!" Ussop snapped at both of them, rising from his task. He faltered as he was pinned with a glare and a frown. "At least…not yet. I'm sure the docs can save him, they got the knowledge."

"None of the colonists would give up the information as to who did it, and you can bet they watched the entire thing happen!" Kid snapped back. "What gives you so much confidence? Probably Iceburg's out there making sure everyone takes their sweet ass time getting to him. This is probably something _he_ did because Trafalgar pissed him off!"

"Can't you smell the person, Zoro?" Luffy asked curiously. "Sanji sniffs stuff, so can't you?"

"There's nothing on him," Zoro muttered bitterly.

"They used stones and a huge stick, moron," Kid reminded Luffy. "Their scent's not going to show up unless they actively nabbed him."

"I'm _hungry_ ," Luffy whined instead. "Use smelling salts on him. He's a strong guy, he should wake right up. Maybe if he knows we have cookbooks he'll come back alive."

"Don't waste your breath, he's a one track idiot," Kid then told Ussop, who gathered breath to speak indignantly. To Zoro he said, "Shouldn't you go back there and get revenge? They killed your friend."

Zoro grit his teeth. He was angry – helplessly livid. He should've went with Sanji because he knew something would happen so soon after the confrontation and the full moon. Families who suspected that their loved ones would risk life and limb to visit him often retaliated with accusations from a safe distance, and they usually wouldn't attack if Zoro were with him. After all, even after all the mistreatment, Sanji was 'nicer' than he was – he'd take the blame without uttering a complaint. If it were an accusing woman, he'd let the attack slide.

It was irritating that it had come to this, but it wasn't the first. As much as it made sense to attack because of it, they still had to live here. This was their home.

But with the way Kid's encouragement filled his ears, Zoro thought of the temptation to just let loose – the colonists didn't care about them, so why should he? If they were currently living under a state of unrest, wouldn't it be freeing to just react?

He acknowledged that his conscience would be free – he wouldn't remember doing so. And with how cowardly the attack on Sanji was, he didn't feel as if he'd regret it. It would be a reminder not to do so the next time the fox wandered off without him. Why should they have to live under such fear?

"He's not dead," he mumbled before Ussop could say anything. He looked to the fox, careful not to make any expression. There was dried blood coloring down his jawline and collected around his nose and mouth. As if by some telepathic give, Ussop wet the rag he held and did his best to clean blood and dirt away. Sanji would be wearing these wounds for weeks.

"Look, it's time to set boundaries," Kid insisted, stepping forward. "These guys can't be allowed to do this! If you want to continue living in peace, then why the hell aren't they allowed to let you? Every time shit happens, they're going to keep thinking it's okay to do this! Turning your back to it ain't going to make it go away!"

"Shut your sauce box," Zoro snapped at him, feeling his temper heat. "I ain't gonna run out and do what you want. It matters what I want."

"Revenge?" Kid cried, gesturing at Sanji. "This is your _bud_ , your _bro_ , doesn't that fuck you up inside? Hell, I don't care if it happened to one of these guys, but _you_ guys are tight, right?"

Sanji would be upset with him if he did, Zoro mused. But it felt so tempting right now – just looking at that bloodied face that often held a light, goofy expression made Zoro's blood heat. If he could react as he did as a werewolf, what was wrong with reacting as a human?

"Just let it go," Kid whispered, suddenly too close to him as Ussop gave Zoro an uneasy expression, sitting off to the side with the rag in between both hands. "Get out there and show them whose boss. They can't keep doing this to you guys! It's time to step up and show them what you're truly capable of."

"That's not something either of them want to do," Ussop said with uncertainty. "Don't stir the pot."

"Mm, stew," Luffy sighed. "Maybe we can have stew!"

"It might satisfy you now, but remember why you don't," Ussop encouraged Zoro. Kid looked at him with a scowl, straightening up.

"You aren't a good friend," Kid told him. "You're holding him back."

"This isn't something Zoro wants to do!"

"What's it going to change?" Zoro then asked, rising from beside the couch, giving Kid a frustrated look. "What's gonna stop them from doing this next time?"

"The threat of it happening again," Kid supplied. "They won't dare do it again if you get tough with them."

The door swung open as a couple of people dressed in white robes hurried in at Iceburg's insistence, carrying between them a heavy bag of medical supplies. The three made room away from them as their uneasy expressions examined them for any signs of a threat before turning their attention to Sanji.

The mood was broken, the ease to 'let go' slipping away once Zoro saw them take in Sanji's condition. Iceburg was red-faced and overly sweaty as he supervised, arms crossed tightly over his chest. Annoyed that he wouldn't see any more slaughter, Kid threw up his hands with exasperation and crossed from the living room to the kitchen to give up space to those standing in it.

"My people are interviewing those that were present, but it's difficult," Iceburg said pensively. "They feel if they give up information, there will be retaliation efforts against them and their families."

"There should be!" Kid insisted.

"Yeah, he was going to make us breakfast!" Luffy hollered. "Who's going to feed us now?"

Iceburg gave them expressions of irritation. "There is a cart coming this way with food. Good supplies – the guard you spoke with has informed me of your demands. Unfortunately, we don't know which stalls Sanji visited so we cannot compensate for the money he'd already spent."

"Oh, _real_ convenient!" Kid spat.

"Look, I'm aware of what he was intending on packing home. It was shameful, I wasn't aware that he was being given the dregs of vendors' disposables, and I guarantee you it won't happen again," Iceburg insisted. "The pair doesn't complain about what they are being given – "

"Because of shit like this!"

"It won't happen again. This cart should feed the lot of you for at least two weeks. But I hope in that amount of time that you all come to terms with contribution," Iceburg said to Kid, turning to face him. "You guys can be useful around here – just as Zoro and Sanji are. They work for these things, so you should too. Everyone provides!"

"I don't wanna work," Luffy complained. "It's not that much fun! Unless it's something cool, like being a cage fighter or taming wild animals!"

Iceburg frowned at him before Kid said, "I think it should be fair that we should deal with those responsible for this. That way, it sends a message – "

"The message sent when we take them into custody will be proper justice within the system. There's no need for you guys to come in and cause unnecessary fear with what you've already contributed!"

"That ain't fair!"

"Our justice system is sound and does work."

"Yeah, they totally fear it!" Kid gestured out towards the window, indicating the colony as a whole.

"What's going on in here?"

Ussop cringed while Luffy's eyes widened, Kid's arm falling to his side with a heavy slap. They all looked to the door as Law walked in, holding a few parchments under one arm and looking at all of them with tired suspicion. Perona was at his side, blinking curiously while she folded her umbrella pertly at her side.

Iceburg started to sweat anew as he watched Law look over to the couch, the doctors hastily doing what they can to tend to the injuries they'd uncovered. His face tightened dangerously.


	16. Chapter 16

**HS:** Not this time – Sengoukou denied him subjects that could've been useful here D: For their own safety. I love writing Kid - he's such a sassy character. So it'll be interesting to explore how well he can open up to sharing and being a considerate person.

 **Hallconen:** Ahhh! You're following and reading my fic? As I admire your art I am abashed that you read my stuff XD Everyone that isn't Oda has their version of Sanji; 96% of us love him. It'll take Law a while to realize that his actions are only because of him and so hopefully he realizes in time so he can learn to change himself. Once Kid starts to settle in with the idea of staying in while adapting to the new world, he'll get motivation to get inventive! Right now he's still busy trying to process what's going on around him and running on impulses to find what's comfortable for him. It doesn't help that being around Zoro makes him a rambling mess XD As for the mystery behind the half animals, that should be explored a little later, when the smoke starts to clear. So that would mean introductions to more characters! :D Idk if I'll proceed that far, tbh – I've only seen up to a point where this fic will end, so we'll see. Thanks for your compliments and lurking!

 **Penumbra:** It isn't heads that will roll D: Kid is an instigator alright but he realizes quickly how much it's backfiring on him when it turns out he isn't the 'cool' guy XD

 **: : Sixteen**

"The situation is under control," Iceburg said steadily, hands in a placating gesture as the tension skyrocketed. Perona left Law's side to go investigate for herself what was happening, nose wrinkled at the sight of injury to Sanji's head. Between them the doctors alternated with digging through a massive bag full of hastily gathered supplies and what looked like screening panels that they used to investigate the injury beyond its skin condition. In one panel she was able to see that nothing was broken – it was only the skin that retained the damage to such a degree that she didn't even recognize his face.

She shrugged. "At least he's still alive, right? That's the part that matters most. Was there any food leftover?"

"No," Luffy said with disappointment, rapping on the cookbooks on his lap. "He was going to make it when some guy got him. And no one's saying anything."

Kid could see how furious Law was and made an exasperated expression of his own, only slightly pouting that Iceburg was focused more on placating him than he was with the rest of them. Clearly, the man didn't understand that they were now going to starve because of this and Iceburg was only focused on the one man that didn't care if they ate or not.

"Listen," Kid said, hand clapped down on one tense shoulder, "He says he's trying to figure out who did it, but nobody's saying anything. This might be a hard lesson for everyone here to learn that these colonists want nothing more for us than to suffer – I almost had Zoro convinced to side with us, but maybe you can add something to it – "

"This is what your word means?" Law asked, slapping Kid's hand away as Luffy's mouth created an 'o' as he looked upon the scene with rising excitement. "We're expected to be peaceful while your colonists continue to push the line?"

"I have all my guardsmen working hard to interview and point out the perpetrators," Iceburg assured him tightly. "They will be brought to justice. These are the colony's best doctors, they'll do everything in their power to make sure he heals correctly. Unfortunately, this was the action of only one bad colonist – "

"There was a lot of rocks there, too," Kid added thoughtfully. "Coming from one direction. So it wasn't just _one_ guy. And we're going to have to rule out kids – it was a 4x8 used to crack over his head, not just some stick you find lying around. Looked like it was used repeatedly, using his head as a piñata."

"Mm, _candy_ ," Luffy murmured wispily.

Iceburg glanced to him pensively, well aware that Kid was instigating the situation.

Perona twirled her umbrella over her shoulder before she looked back at Law. "Just fix him. You can do that, can't you?"

Law glanced over to the pair that were working on Sanji without any attention diverted to their way. Their gloves were bloody, and they'd pulled his shirt apart to tend to other injuries that they'd found there as well. A glance to Zoro showed him only a tense expression with no other clue to what he was thinking while Ussop swallowed noisily and looked from the doctors to him with shaking anxiety.

Law looked back at Iceburg, the man watching him intently while he stood with a rigid pose. "The names of those men you'd found dead were identified?" he asked slowly as Kid gave him a surprised look while Perona grave a puzzled frown.

A little off balance by the irrelevance of the question that didn't pertain to the situation, Iceburg blinked a few times before answering, "Yes, we…were able to identify them and those that you'd accused of being assassins."

"Their families were notified?"

"Well, yes. Deaths are rare here," Iceburg added, still wearing a puzzled expression. "Especially those that go missing. What does…that have to do with the situation?"

"What were their names?" Law asked curiously. Kid finally understood, covering his mouth to hide his expression as he realized what Law was getting at. Iceburg still seemed to be fumbling, looking from Sanji to Law with some flustered action. With a light smile that seemed coldly empathetic, Law added, "I'd like to pay my respects. If we chose to retaliate because of this, you'd still lack control over your colonists' actions when it comes to our vulnerability. This would assure them that we have no ill-will because of this… _one bad colonist_. We'd like to show some mercy and understanding, the same Sanji had shown us."

Iceburg exhaled deeply, unsure of what to do with his hands.

Perona gave Law a skeptical look, Zoro noticing the expressions each of the trio were wearing as Law spoke smoothly. Every instinct of his was going haywire – and yet, when he looked at Sanji, Zoro couldn't help but feel so _tired_. He was tired of not being treated well, and he was tired of seeing Sanji mistreated because of something he couldn't control. His conscience wrestled him over letting Law take control of the situation or pulling him back. Ussop watched the doctors work on his friend, his face filled with so much sadness that his eyes glittered ever so slightly, his hands fisted in his overalls.

Iceburg exhaled shortly. "You suspect it was them? A family's retaliation?"

" _Every_ colonist is a suspect, even those that choose to say nothing to what they'd witnessed," Law said. "I could leave here right now and destroy that entire market, but what good would that do? It would leave us with less food and more colonists on edge, ready to attack when they see an available moment. Peace would continue to elude us."

Iceburg felt he made sense. He nodded. "Then I will accompany you."

"Make the visit short and convenient for them," Law said, adjusting the parchments under his arm. "An agreed upon meeting place with all your guards present. Make them feel safe and secure while I apologize."

Still reeling under the unex[ected proposal, Iceburg didn't say anything as Law retreated to the kitchen with his things, laying them out on the table. He noticed Luffy giving the man a puzzled look, and Kid wore an incredulous expression, mouth moving without any sound.

"That's it?" Kid snapped, pushing past Iceburg. "The fox gets shit on, and we go and apologize to _them_ because of it?"

"That's right," Law said slowly. He unrolled one of the parchments, and pinned it down with the salt and pepper shakers. "This is something Sanji would have done."

"How stupid is that?" Kid cried, outraged as Luffy looked entirely confused. Perona looked from one man to the other before taking a seat on one of the chairs, flouncing out her skirts.

"Should we dress like we're going to a funeral?" she asked curiously while Iceburg watched them speak. "Zoro? Ussop? You should come with us, too. You're Sanji's friends and all."

"I can't leave him," Ussop whispered tightly, drifting over to the couch and standing at Sanji's feet. "He might wake up."

"Zoro?"

It took a few moments to answer, but Zoro swallowed back words he wanted to say and uttered, "I'll go."

"It's mostly us they fear anyway," Law said, pulling up a chair. "So it makes sense that it should be us doing the apologizing."

"I'll do it," Iceburg then said tightly. "I'll send someone to retrieve you when they're ready."

"Thank you," Law told him, adding another one of those cold smiles. "By the end of it, I hope we're more cooperative with each other in order to work together for the sake of this colony."

Iceburg hesitated for a few moments, then left the house. Kid turned to look at Law with his arms spread out, taking two giant steps forward to hit the table.

"Are you freaking kidding me?" he exclaimed. "We're going to go apologize to them for this?"

"You don't have to go," Law told him, focusing on the parchment.

"Why aren't you fixing him yourself?" Kid then asked, gesturing wildly behind him. "Can you trust Iceburg's people to do this? What if they're sabotaging his – "

"Sengokou wouldn't give me the information I wanted," Law said between gritted teeth, that peaceful expression gone. "So leave them alone."

"Hmf," Perona commented, umbrella over her lap. "Sengokou thought it was dangerous of him to learn too much about how the human body works, so he withheld information from him. And _that's_ why he burned the library down."

"Setting fire to this entire place would be more acceptable!" Kid cried. "They bashed his head in, man! Who knows if he'll even recover from that!"

"Zoro? You did nothing?" Law asked curiously, looking back down at the table.

"I wasn't with him," Zoro answered. "This would've never happened."

"And you choose not to retaliate on his behalf?"

Jaw flexing, Zoro was aware of the curious attention his way. But he answered, "He would not agree to it."

"Stupid and uneducated," Law murmured, using a finger to mark his place.

Seeing that he was more focused on the items he'd taken from the library than on the activity on the couch, Kid gave up the battle. His stomach rumbled noisily, Luffy's answering moments later. Both of them wilted.

When the house had emptied, Ussop taking Kid and Luffy to his for a free raid of his kitchen, the doctors gathered their things. They looked anxious as they removed their gloves and masks. They explained that they done what they possibly could to stabilize him, but they couldn't guarantee any lack of permanent impairment. While Sanji's mostly superhuman genes rendered him mostly impervious to most causes of harm, the fact that he was still unconscious spoke volumes to the lingering damage. He would heal quickly, they assured him. His body was already in a high state of repair.

Law took the information stoically while Zoro watched Sanji for some signs of life. When he was satisfied, he dismissed the doctors. Perona was snoring in her chair, twitching ever so slightly in the silence left behind. when Zoro looked to Law, he couldn't tell what the other man was thinking – he was still wearing a blank expression. So he couldn't tell if Law were concerned about the state Sanji was in – it made him feel sick inside because if Law didn't care then where did Sanji actually stand with him?

Not that he approved of the situation at all – he just accepted that Sanji was "okay" where he currently was.

"Make him comfortable, Zoro," Law then told him before returning to the kitchen table to resume reading. Perona snorted herself awake hten wiped her mouth as Zoro carefully picked up his friend. She rose from the chair while they disappeared into the back bedroom.

"I'm going to get our funeral outfits ready," Perona told Law as she unfurled her umbrella. "So don't leave without me."

Near early evening, the single guardsman at the door arrived with word from Iceburg. Perona hurriedly scurried from one man to other to adjust ties and tighten straps, Luffy sucking in his gut as she tended to him. Kid watched from the chair, unmoving and unwilling to participate. He'd lost confidence in Law's motives because he'd overheard the man practicing a few condolence lines to himself in the kitchen. It creeped him out. Ussop watched nervously near the hallway, fiddling with his handkerchief as he watched Zoro stand still to allow Perona to fix the uncomfortably fitted suit he wore. It looked like a normal suit but his jacket had wolf fur around the lapels, and his vest had some useless straps and zippers over it. He was able to carry his swords in the leather belt he had, and it was some of the nicest things he'd ever wore, so he wasn't complaining. Even when Perona slicked his hair back with wax and fiddled with it until his sideburns were stiff and straight. Kid couldn't help but stare at him – in another time, Zoro would be one of the ruggedly fashionable son of bitches that graced some Vogue cover, straight off some Star Wars set.

Law used a lint roller to remove the pieces of fox fur from his legs, then straightened up. He had a wide brim hat on so it hid most of his expression. He was wearing a black fur cape over a side button long-sleeved shirt, tucked into jodhpur –style pants that were tucked into his boots. A dark yellow and navy vest was used to break up the black monotony of his outfit. Perona had sewn in his Jolly Roger – which most of the Marines used when they'd forget their names – over his left vest breast. Luffy was wearing a black overcoat with the same style fur over his black vest, white shirt with ascot and shorts, loafers on his feet. His Jolly Roger was sewn in over his left leg. This resulted in a frustrated shouting match between himself and Perona, the woman impatiently yanking on a coat with gold brocade lapels over a seriously plunging lace dress that showed too much of a chest she didn't have and a corset that gave her a Barbie waist. Her skirts were too wide and short, with too much fluffy overhang in the back. She had a bonnet wrapped to her head, her pigtails curled over her chest and below her ears.

Kid thought they all looked ridiculous and couldn't handle how seriously they took Perona's fashion.

"You guys look like villains," he grumbled. " _Anime_ villains. Villains from a bad Will Smith western."

"Coming from a guy wearing _pink_ ," Law muttered as he walked out first, Kid shooting up from his chair as Perona and Luffy followed, shoving each other.

"It's MAROON!" he shouted from the doorway. He stopped Zoro from following, words awkwardly jumbled in his mouth as Zoro looked up at him. It was hard not to notice how steely his eyes were, some resolve painted in his brow and jawline. He seemed so manly that Kid felt awkward standing next to him. "You're the only one that looks normal, so be normal."

"Yeah, thanks," Zoro muttered with a frown as he walked off.

Kid watched them clamor into a waiting coach, guardsmen looking uncomfortable with the group. As the oxen pulled away, Kid's hands went to his hips. He felt like he was missing out but at the same time, he didn't feel like he owed anyone an apology. With how serious Law had been putting effort into his lines, he couldn't believe that the guy would choose this wimpy route – if the roles were different, if it were Zoro lying motionless in the other room, half of the colony would have already been in flames. The finality of that thought was so intense that it bewildered him over his somewhat skewed feelings of admiration for the wolf. Was he truly just really admiring of him, or was this something deeper?

"Is it weird," he said to Ussop, slamming the door shut behind him, "that I think highly of another man? Like, does it cast out homo vibes when I admit to myself that a man is handsome?"

Ussop gave him a deer in a headlights look, then shrugged. "I don't know the meaning, but I don't think there's anything wrong with telling someone they look nice."

"I don't want to say, Hey man, nice shirt if I'm not actually feeling it," Kid emphasized, hand to his chest. He made a wider gesture. "I am saying Hey man, _nice shirt_ because he looks good in it."

Confused, Ussop said, "So you're saying you like the shirt?"

"I'm saying, the man _wearing_ it makes it look nice. Overall, _he_ makes it look good."

"So, even if you _don't_ like the shirt, you…think the _man_ looks good."

"I'm _saying_ , _because_ he's _wearing_ the shirt, _he_ looks good."

"So it's the shirt that makes him look good…?"

"Argh, forget it!" Kid sighed, slumping down onto the couch. He fiddled with his thumbs while Ussop gave him a bewildered look.

"Well," he said, reaching back to fiddle with his ponytail, "if you like someone, of course anything they wear looks good."

"Yeah," Kid muttered, thinking about it. "I guess so."

"Makes sense, then," Ussop then said with relief. "I was kinda wondering if I were going crazy. You like him, don't you?"

"What? Yeah, he's cool. Like, _really_ cool," Kid admitted, thinking about Zoro. "Almost unflappable. Like you can't tell what he's thinking but then his actions say everything about him. That kinda guy is…cool."

"Action speaks louder than words sometimes. And when he uses a lotta words, it's like he can't tell any lies."

"Yeah, I guess."

When Kid fell silent to reflect on the conversation he'd had earlier in the day with Zoro, Ussop thought it was like mixing gunpowder with fire together with Kid and Law. He shrugged, retreating back to the bedroom to check on Sanji.

: :

Iceburg was waiting for them as they pulled up. The center where he'd chosen the meeting was surrounded by heavily armed guardsman. From the doorway spilled more, and Luffy grit his teeth noisily. Law was undeterred by the sight, Perona fluffing out her skirts as the oxen pulled to a stop nearby. Zoro had his arms crossed tightly over his chest as his conscience continued to nag at him. There was a part of him that regretted being here; another part that continuously remembered picking up his dear friend from the dirt, his blood staining Zoro's shirt on the way home.

Law placed a hand on Luffy's shoulder, saying low, "Let's play a game."

"What kinda game?" Luffy asked, interested already.

"There's a missing patch of fur on my cape," Law said, Perona whipping her head around to look for herself. "I want you to stare at it – every time your eyes leave it, it'll grow bigger. If you can scare the fur into staying where it is, then I won't have to worry about it falling to pieces as I walk around, tonight."

Luffy gave him a dirty look. "That's a _stupid_ game."

"You can't do it?" Law asked him curiously. "I thought you were boasting about how your expression alone could scare anything."

"It can, so…but I doubt it'll work on this crappy piece of work."

"Then if you can't, I won't tell you where Sanji's been hiding cupcakes from you every time you visit."

"WHAT."

"Ah, the ones with the white frosting?" Perona asked on a titter, giving Luffy a smug look. "I've had one. They're super sweet with fruity centers. And he makes them mostly for Zoro and himself – he doesn't want you to know because you eat everything!"

After some stiff moments, Zoro muttered, "Those were my treats."

Outraged that such a secret was kept from him, Luffy's mouth fell open. But he set it with a determined expression. "You promise, Law? You'll make good on your word? Because I can do it."

"Of course," Law told him patiently, climbing out of the wagon. He adjusted the cape around him solemnly as Luffy exhaled heavily, settling right behind him to find the spot Law had indicated. Perona noticed that there was a small patch of missing fur, likely caused by an old scar the animal wore until its death, but she knew why Law was doing this. She glanced to Zoro, wondering if he knew what he truly was in for. Iceburg met them with a stoic expression, but she noticed how much he was sweating at the hairline.

"The families agreed to this as long as they are able to release their grief," Iceburg told them as he led the way. "This is a controlled setting, and there will be plenty of guardsmen there to protect the three of you from any force they try to use."

"I'm sure it'll be no problem," Law told him. "After all, it must be hard to lose someone you love."

"We're going to get yelled at?" Perona asked snottily. "I don't like it when people yell at me."

"You'll bear it for as long as it takes, Perona," Law said. She almost missed the smirk that crossed his face as they were led into the building – it was a community center with an open floor, and the first thing she noticed was the black robes and wraps the grieving families wore as they were huddled towards the center. Women with swollen eyes and trembling frowns, upset expressions worn by the kids – she felt her heavily lacquered lips pull into a smirk.

"Let's see you pull this off," she murmured.

Zoro felt his heart pounding hard against his chest – it was seeing the faces of the children that affected him the most. But nurtured, they'd carried the same views as their parents to taunt them and disrespect them; the cycle wouldn't change unless it was interrupted. It was that train of thought that his hands clenched into hard fists at his armpits, his arms trembling as they stayed crossed.

There were guardsmen lining the walls with guns at their waists. Most of them looked increasingly nervous as Iceburg settled himself between the quartet and the families, aware of the rising tension. Once the quartet stood in a staggered line abreast of them, a group of guardsman quickly surrounded them, guns lowered to aim right at them. Perona gritted her teeth at the sight of this. The faces of the families changed from grieving to hot anger in just moments – spearing Zoro with expressions of true hate. Some drifted past him, looking for Sanji then returning to him.

Before Iceburg could say anything, Law stepped forward, hands at his sides. He tipped his head in a slow nod before he reached up and removed his hat. Luffy kept his eyes trained on the empty spot of his cape, face twitching with the effort because he could see the guardsmen posted around them with their weapons trained on them.

"I've been chosen to speak for our group," Law said, his voice suddenly loud over the silence. "As I'd caused the most strife, it should be me speaking for the others and myself. I come here to offer our sincerest apologies for the loss of your loved ones. What happened today was an excusable act of grief resulting because of our actions."

Iceburg looked at the families closest, women with wrinkled handkerchiefs and angry expressions directed beyond him.

Studying each face individually, Law then exhaled low before he replaced his hat. He adjusted it while the families looked to each other on the next course of action. Because it looked like Law's words had managed to settle them, they were starting to react. Ready to unleash their anger in a verbal assault.

Before any could speak, Law then said, "Iceburg, thank you for your participation and willingness to contribute to my idealistic whims. Your participation today cut down on the amount of time I would have lost rounding up and identifying the cretins responsible for hurting Sanji. This act of rage will not go ignored, and I will instead set an example for the rest of the colony tonight if they should ever feel inclined to attack any of us again."

" _What_?" Iceburg sputtered, the words dawning on him slowly.

Zoro grit his teeth, unfolding his arms.

The Room flashed into place once Law called for it, the guardsmen reacting with hard presses of the triggers. Screams erupted as all of Iceburg's men were violently thrusted into whirling movement around the room, bullets spraying randomly throughout the air. Iceburg was shoved aside by invisible hands, tossed off his feet as Law walked forward, expression changing.

Amidst the panicked screams and shouts of the guardsmen, the families shrank together, then turned to start running. A hard cluster of armed men suddenly lumped together, forced together like a Jenga wall in front of them to prevent their escape. Guns dropped around them as frantic screaming and shouting commenced. The doors and windows were blocked off by more bodies of Iceburg's men, preventing through from outside getting in. The rest were continuing being forced around the room, Iceburg sucked into the action with startled shouts. Zoro was in awe of this ability, but it also alarmed him how the situation was progressing.

Luffy followed after Law with determination as Perona smirked, Zoro standing rigidly off to her side as he watched Law approach the first woman.

"Was it you?" he asked her, unflinching as a random bullet coasted between them. The woman stared at him with stark terror, her small children clinging to her. His eyes dropped to her hands, noticing that they were firmly fisted within the robes of one of her children. He looked to the other, finding that she was holding onto her baby with both hands, breathing rapidly as she sought an escape route from the room. He looked to her hands then sought out the third, watching as she sweated profusely, her hands lifting to somehow provide a barrier between him and her two teenage kids, both of whom were pulling back on her. He noticed the red spots on her palms, the bandages on two fingers.

He closed the distance between them as Luffy stayed right on his heels, his mouth opened to bare his teeth with an extreme expression of concentration.

Delicately, he took one of her raised hands and examined them. With a gentle touch he rubbed soothingly against her palm as she struggled to brace herself away from him, her hair sticking to her face as sweat clung to it.

"Slivers are bothersome, aren't they?" he asked, noting her rising panic before looking at the teens that gaped at him. "More troublesome than throwing stones."

The woman sputtered words, trying to put together excuses as she alternated between that and begging, struggling to pull her hand back from his grasp. Law's fingers crushed hers within his as his expression darkened. She cried out, legs giving out from underneath her as her kids attempted to shield her, one of them reaching out to tug at his cuff.

"You mourn a man that made his decision," he said crossly. "His responsibility to commit a crime goes unchecked? Forgiven? Where is the justice in that? For this gross display of revenge, I'll start with you."

The three of them stiffened up suddenly as his hand shifted, and he was punching her hard over her left breast, a small square object falling out behind her. He released her and advanced onto the next, repeating the gesture. Once he finished with the second teen, he bent and retrieved the items, showing them off as beating hearts. Aghast at this, the family began reacting with panic as confusion reigned over the faces of the remaining families.

Holding the trio's hearts between both hands, Law turned to them. They were so huddled upon each other that they were essentially crushing their own smaller children to the floor, unable to hear their panicked screams. Perona chuckled at their reactions while Zoro watched with horror. The whirling motion of the guardsmen stopped, every body jerking as they were forcefully stilled into a stationary position. To Iceburg, who dangled somewhere near the front door, Law approached.

Unable to understand how the trio was still alive while he observed their hearts beating right in front of him, Iceburg couldn't even gather strength to speak. But he looked from them to Law, helpless to stop anymore of the terror happening before his eyes.

"Justice is served," Law said, crushing his hands together, grounding force against force until he had a pulpy mass dripping from between his palms and fingers. Beyond him, the trio collapsed without another sound, the other families shrieking with dismay. Flinging his hands aside, he said, "You'll talk to your colonists about dropping anymore plans for any type of revenge and warn them to leave us alone. The way I see it, eye for an eye, this stops tonight."

"Just – _leave_!" Iceburg ground out, unable to speak clearly. " _Just leave us_!"

"Not until I'm adjusted to this life. But I expect better effort from you. If the colonists choose to continue exacting their own form of justice to excuse their brands of crimes, then I will continue eliminating the trouble until there's nothing left. But that's not to say I'm speaking for the others, here. These are _my_ conditions."

Frustrated in the chaotic display of power, helplessly placed in a position of judgement before his own people and in front of those that should have never been invited in, Iceburg couldn't say anything.

"For those of you left," Law said, turning to address those away from Iceburg, "take tonight as a warning. You'll accept us as human beings, and treat us as human beings."

Perona's face shifted into the mask as she ventured away from his side. She reached out and touched the mother, then her sons in turn. One by one they rose from the floor with lax faces, eyes either closed or rolled in death. The gasps of those watching the task were the only sound in the building. She then turned and walked, the trio lumbering after her.

Seeing that his words held weight by everyone in the room, Law looked at Zoro. "Do you have anything to add?"

Zoro was speechless. He wasn't sure what he expected, but this still upset him. Unable to think or react, he just shook his head. Nodding to accept that, Law turned and shifted through those he still held in place, dropping his hold on all of them. Luffy was right on his heels as they left the building, Zoro standing in the midst of frightened colonists as they struggled to right themselves. The guardsmen looked utterly ill at ease, Iceburg on his knees as he fought to breathe against the weight on his chest.

Muffled sobbing and whispers grew up from behind him, and Zoro turned to look at the families that stared at him with fright.

After a few moments, he found words to speak. "He was more merciful than I would've been."

Letting his words sink, he then turned and followed after the others.


	17. Chapter 17

**Naghi-Tan:** He's learning! :D It's not the end of Iceburg just yet D:

 **HS** : He makes a good presentation and reasons why D: Sometimes these guys just lose focus on what's important, here, and tend to go off on instinctive tangents lol All of them are easily distracted if something shiny crosses their path. Despite their presentations, they're still babies when it comes to the world.

 **AriesDanger** **24** : Law and Kid will willingly share their history but who will listen? What happened, happened, and what matters now is now (according to Kid). There are other characters out there, they have yet to pop up! All your ideas make for some good office zoning.

 **Penumbra** : Maybe this chapter will be a bit perkier! :D

 **: : Seventeen**

Later that night, Ussop lingered nearby as he watched Law examine Sanji for himself. He was ill at ease as he watched him take the sharpest kitchen knife to carefully section apart the most serious of injuries. This was mainly for himself – while it appeared that Sanji was on the mend, his continued unconsciousness made Law curious to see if any permanent damage had occurred during the assault. It was hard to tell if the woman had been one of the fabled superhumans Iceburg had mentioned, and considering Sanji's own superhuman status, it would have taken an adequate amount of force to damage him as intensively as it had. Since Law hadn't had a chance to investigate head injuries based on Sengokou's concern that he'd used this knowledge for his own warfare, Law was going to use the anatomy charts he'd taken from Robin's collection and apply it here.

Not explaining anything to the others, Law used the room as his own operating room to further his curiosity. He had useful tools sterilized and set out on a towel, a pad of paper and a pencil with a nearby sharpener, and a cup of steaming coffee on the end table nearby. He'd thrown off all but his undershirt to have no material restrictions around his arms and used some biodegradable disposable gloves Sanji kept in the kitchen. Ussop watched as Law casually sliced a section of Sanji's head and skull from its whole status, revealing a strangely operational sectional that safely detached away from his brain and part of his cheekbone to hold in one hand. This left his brain and skull exposed in a strange section that didn't seemed disturbed by the operation. Seeing his friend like that made Ussop's stomach jump rapidly to his throat, and he hastily excused himself.

Seeing that the process wasn't bothering Sanji in the slightest, Law observed the way his exposed eyeball continued focus against the back of his swollen eyelid. Cavities were open to him now, and he made an additional cut down his cheek to see the teeth that had given him away in what felt like months ago. They were larger than a normal human's, wider, and while perfectly aligned they were not those of what he was used to seeing. He replaced his cheek carefully and returned his attention to the exposed brain. Drawing one of Ussop's adjustable lights over the bed, Law could look directly into his head cavity and saw how blood vessels, veins and fluid moved uninterrupted within the special casing his power designed to isolate an organ.

He looked at the sight with some awe, then carefully made some notes on prepared sheets of paper nearby. He drew quickly, making some notes to his observations.

He was aware that Luffy and Perona were telling Kid in length what happened, but with the door closed the sound was muffled. Kid's overexcited voice could be tuned out as Law focused on Sanji's steady breathing. With the observations he wrote down, he focused on the section in his hand, turning it this way and that. He noticed that there were skull fragments missing from it, and upon closer investigation found those pieces either pressed against the delicate brain or captured within the cerebrospinal fluid. Using a pair of tweezers, he carefully pulled the pieces out, then refitted them back into the skull. Once they made a seamless fit, he set the tweezers down and used his ability to reform the calcium needed to reform the section to near perfect condition. He admired his work for a few moments before looking over the orbital region and finding fractures there that were to fine to be detected by the doctor's screen.

The door slammed open upon Kid's entrance. "This does not make you better than us – _what the fuck_?" Kid changed his challenging tune once he saw what Law was doing. He immediately slammed the door shut on his way out.

Returning to his work, Law fixed those fractures, then turned his attention back to the solid section still attached to Sanji. He found more fractures there, imagining that the woman had blasted him first from behind to keep him from reacting, then once he fell she'd repeated the gesture several times. It was nearly comforting to know that despite this, Sanji only suffered these small fractures and not an intense devastation that would require more surgery and downtime to recoup. But it was also interesting for Law to note that Sanji's unnatural healing abilities had already caused the swelling to ease, that these fractures would have healed with more time.

He made more notes and observations before carefully refitting the piece back into place. Once he had Sanji's head refused back together, he looked over his work before replacing the pack of ice wrapped in soft material back over his cheek and eye. He looked over his notes then dissipated his Room, looking back to make sure nothing was disturbed. He found himself ruminating over the other man's sleeping form, listening to the soft whistle of his breath. Reaching out he chipped away the dried blood collected under one nostril before wiping his hand on the edge of the sheet.

The world seemed quieter without Sanji's presence, Law realized. There wasn't any impatient snapping from him when it came to Luffy, no arguing when it came to Kid, no goofy praises to Perona that she lapped up like a preening teenager. Zoro was quieter with no one to argue or joke with, and even Ussop seemed to have lost the volume of his voice. For Law it was looking up and being reassured that the fox was nearby; there was something in the weight of that that made him feel like he was stumbling on a dangerous slope. He reached out once again and drew the backs of his fingers against Sanji's cheek, feeling his skin tingle warmly as he did so. He marveled at the feeling. This sort of touch was something he hadn't experienced in his lifetime – his was violence and restraint; pinpricks and harshly stimulated environmental conditions. So to reach out and just _feel_ another person without the intention of violence or control felt strange to him.

Sanji would touch him, sometimes. Whether it was a hand to his arm to quietly ask for his attention or a casual gesture to wipe food from his face, his touch wasn't what Law was used to. Nothing like the contact they had when Sanji was in heat, though. Law thought about it a lot – unwillingly delving into the memory of sensation and the aftereffects, hungry for more. It seemed inappropriate to ask for more. There was something that held him back from demanding it because Sanji seemed ashamed and bitter about the things he was forced to acknowledge, and it felt similar to Law with his lack of privacy with the Marines.

Was this part of feeling human? Catching himself in the midst of his demands and understanding what it would feel like being in his place?

His fingertips turned to trace the outline of Sanji's lips, to draw down over his chin and down the length of his throat. Then jabbed him in the cheek. "Wake up," he ordered, poking the delicate skin against Sanji's teeth, then pinching until red spread from the point of contact. "Wake up, bastard. I'm hungry."

When there wasn't a response, Law made a sullen expression, pulling his hand back and considering given Sanji a Counter-Shock. But then again he figured if he pulled that move on the fox he would be no better than the Marines. He drummed his fingers atop of the bed as he considered other methods. He wanted him to wake up – he wanted to tell him what happened and Sanji would feel better about being out there by himself, without the threat of anything like this happening again.

Law wanted his approval; he wanted to be rewarded with something in return. He wasn't sure _what_ exactly, he just knew he wanted it. He battled something else inside of him that wanted to roll over Sanji and take control of him – _make_ the fox give him what he wanted however he wanted.

But he'd learned that Sanji would defy him. He would sternly turn one of Law's selfish requests around and make him feel actual shame or rejection, and those weren't easy feelings for Law to give.

'No, I'm not cutting it up and serving it to you separate!' Sanji had snapped at him over dinner, Law pouting over the way his potato dressing mixed with his fish. 'I ain't your mom!'

'No, _bejabbers_ , you're a damned _man_ , you figure it out!' Sanji had hollered at him from atop the kitchen counter and behind an opened cabinet door when Law found himself looking at a Pomeranian-sized spider that had wandered into the front room looking for scraps.

'You wimpy ninny, you hear _us_ complainin'?' Sanji had exclaimed when Law stepped on his first goathead and wanted Sanji to clean them out of the yard after he discovered their growth source.

After thinking about it for some minutes, he realized that these shouldn't be warm memories at all.

Resting his chin against the back of his hand as he relaxed against the bed, he reached out to feel Sanji's exhaled breath against the palm of his hand. If he just had more knowledge of the human brain and had enough time to experiment, he would have fixed this issue hours ago. But Sengokou had denied him the knowledge. He supposed he could run some experiments on prisoners if Iceburg had any, any willing Guinea pigs that tried to threaten them again. Robin's information was limited to the past and current events without the needed smaller subjects in between but she'd given him this information freely because he wanted to learn and she saw nothing wrong with it.

He wondered vaguely if she was threatened by them, but she never showed any such fear.

When he heard the doorknob turn he straightened up and hastily pulled his notes to him so it looked as if he had been looking those over rather than pining over the sleeping man. He looked up to see Zoro standing there, looking at Sanji with a frown.

"No changes," Law reported, making some adjustments.

"The others gone home," Zoro said sullenly.

It suddenly occurred to Law how quiet the place was. He didn't feel any tired. "I'll stay here to monitor any changes," he said stubbornly. "So sleep in the front."

Zoro stood there uncomfortably until he said, "Are you just attached? Or usin' him as a project?"

Irritated with the questions, Law wore a scowl as he answered, "Being that I can use my abilities in this manner, wouldn't it be beneficial to consider him a project?"

"Using anybody for anything ain't sit well with anyone."

"I'd already cleared out the mess the doctors missed," Law said tightly. "Without them here to monitor him themselves, who else should it be?"

Zoro shrugged a shoulder. "But none of us are anybody's 'subjects'. Repeating what's been done to you to someone else ain't fair. Ain't 'just'."

Law considered this. He thought of how he'd already treated the fox – harshly, violently, with demands that were made to be met instantly. These were the things he was used to.

"So you spewing that on others and demand respect but do it to others anyway – makes you the same."

"I don't care for the lecturing."

After a few moments, Zoro added, "Forcing the colonists to fear us in order to respect us – that's not something either of us wanted."

"They already did, to a degree. I still don't understand how you can just sit there and take the disrespect the way you have," Law said, reaching back to shrug on a shirt as he registered how low the temperatures had fallen since the sun disappeared.

"And if these things change cuz of it - then this colony ain't any different from the one I left."

"You were respected then? I thought you were a slave?"

"They feared slaves so much that they had to leash it. 'Respect' then meant being given to the highest payer, who did what they want but expected things in return."

"Then now's the time to live on your own conditions. You want to continue living as a doormat, then leave. At least with us, you get some marginal respect. At least from them," Law added. He rolled his eyes. "From Eustess."

"Right now, I dunno what I want," Zoro admitted. "My way of thinkin' is being challenged. But it ain't to mean that my conscience is gone."

"Then that's the only thing holding you back. Separating the sheep from the wolves is easy to do when you're already a wolf."

Uneasy, Zoro said nothing. But he grabbed his quilt and pillow from his bed from behind Law and left the room.

 _Simpleton_ , Law thought condescendingly. The answer Zoro needed was as plain as day; right in front of him. It was silly to be held back by a conscience that fell silent because of the comfortable acceptance in the way they lived.

A few hours later, Law was alerted to the shift in Sanji's breathing. He lifted his head from his notes to see the man moving his limbs restlessly, the first sign of true movement from him. The ice pack slipped off to the side. He set aside his pencil and tapped his fingertip against Sanji's forehead to continue prompting him to full wakefulness.

"Leave me be," Sanji mumbled, turning his head to escape the persistent action.

"Wake up. Giving into your weakness is stupid."

" _Ugh_ ," Sanji groaned, twisting his entire body to face the wall, pulling up his blankets. Then his hand escaped the warmth to press against the side of his head. "My noggin is busted."

"Do you still feel pain?" Law asked as he stood and tilted his head from side to side to dislodge the soreness there from reading and writing.

"Got a right headache." Sanji then shuffled himself up to sit, wincing as he kept his hand pressed there. He gave up on the effort, laying back down gingerly to alleviate the heavy throbbing that seemed to grow with intensity with his wakefulness. Once he was settled, he slowly started to realize that one eye was having some trouble opening so he reached up to it to examine the reason why. "What's goin on, here?"

"You were attacked. You don't remember?"

Sanji concentrated on the question, poking at his own swollen eyelid. He barely shook his head. "That what happened?"

"You were at the market place. Someone took a stick to your head."

"Ah, yes, I have to make breakfast – "

"There's no need for that, now. You should be angry that this happened."

Thinking about it, Sanji just gave a resigned expression before settling his hands back underneath his blankets. "No. No point holding any grudges."

Incredulous, Law felt himself stiffen. "These people attacked you because of what _they_ did, and left you for dead!"

"Well, it ain't work, did it? I'm all woke up."

"Fight back!" Law snapped at him, Sanji cringing at the sound of his voice.

"And what's that gonna solve?" Sanji asked crankily, pressing his hand against his temple. "Gonna make it more difficult – "

" _I_ solved the problem," Law interrupted, almost a little too proudly. "So it won't happen again, but this lack of reaction and acceptance is ridiculous."

Sanji opened his eyes, blinking them warily as the light nearby bothered him. "What'd you do?" he asked accusingly. "I didn't ask you to do anything!"

"I found the ones responsible and disposed of them." Irritated he wasn't getting the praise he'd wanted, Law watched as Sanji pushed himself into a seated position.

"'Disposed'? What's that mean?"

"Perona now has them as play things. Can't get much clearer than that."

"Killing solves nothing!" Sanji snapped. "It does _nothing_ to fix a problem, it just makes more!"

"I did it for you!"

"I told you," Sanji muttered bitterly, "my life ain't worth the trouble. This'll only make things more difficult for all of us! Iceburg – "

"Is now convinced he can do nothing about us, and has changed his tune," Law finished with a small pout. "He's more willing to work to abide by my demands – "

"His decisions are for the entirety of the colony, not just a select few! What makes you any different from a dictator?" Sanji snapped, picking up the ice pack to deposit onto the nightstand. Then he started rummaging through the drawers until he found a small container and some matches. He plucked out a cigarette and lit it as Law looked sullenly at his notes spread over the length of Sanji's bed. Sanji retreated back to his warmed section with an ashtray. It took a few moments to register that this cigarette smelled differently from the usual ones, Law sniffing the air with a puzzled expression.

"Takes the pain away," Sanji said, reading his expression. "Ussop gave them to me."

"Is that…marijuana…?"

"Blasting your power around to get your way is the same as him," Sanji continued over Law's question. "Not that he any more powerful, he's got support from a whole, and _you_ guys still come in and make demands because of your own power, so you use fear to get your way."

"Fear demands respect!"

"Issat that those Marines taught you? That's how they broke you, right? So you use what you learn to apply it elsewhere in your form of 'justice'," Sanji muttered, reaching up to clutch his head with one hand while dashing ashes into the tray he'd balanced on one thigh. "Ain't learned much since you left that place."

"Then what should have been done, o wise one?"

"Just lettin' it go. I ain't mad. I woke up today, it's a new start."

"You're so _stupid_."

"Who's the stupid one, here? I bet you went in and made demands with your show that are unreasonable – "

"It's not 'unreasonable' to be asked to be treated humanely - !"

"Yet there you go, throwin' your power around in an inhumane way!"

In total disbelief, Law found this conversation a crime. He didn't get what Sanji was saying and Sanji didn't understand his side, either. It just seemed unbelieving that what happened yesterday should be disregarded so lightly.

He found it hard to even understand his own persistence in having Sanji see it his way.

"You say that your life isn't worth the effort," he began shortly, "but if it happened to someone else, would you think differently of it? Perhaps it happened to Zoro, and you came upon him in the same condition that he found you, you'd think 'let it go'?"

Sanji thought about it. He was starting to feel less of the pain now, able to focus beyond the heavy throbbing to actually concentrate on the conversation. But as he always did when he chose to use this typical painkiller, there was a lax in his emotions that made him more investigatory into other threads. There were threads in this conversation that seemed more important than this subject.

He studied the other man's expression, seeing the way Law glared down at the bed rather than facing him full on.

"If'n this happened to anyone else, you wouldn't care," Sanji stated carefully. "But since it's me, you overreacted."

"The point of _my_ actions is that if the colonists feel they're free to exact action on a crime they can forgive - ! If it happened to one of them, they'd demand justice, right?"

"Right. That's what I hear. But the point of my words being that you chose to act because it's me."

"Unchecked, this shit will go on forever!"

"It's weird how you so easily give your beliefs to save someone as worthless as me," Sanji said with a shake of his head. "It ain't that you're seeking any sort of justice, here. You ain't lookin' to be treated equally – you just mad because it's me."

" _I_ \- ! I do want to be treated humanely - !"

"You throw around that word, ain't humanity that matters to you, because you treat them as disposables to get your way! Stop saying that! You wanna check others' behavior, you start first by checkin' yours. Damned idiot."

Working his mouth wordlessly, incredulous that he was being talked to in this manner and having all his secrets hit at the same time, Law looked at him. Sanji snickered because it was the first time he saw such a look on the man's face since he met him. He carefully stabbed out his painkiller, feeling so much lighter and freer from the intensity of the pain that resulted from the left side of his head. Then he looked at the paperwork on his bed, using a toe to nudge at a pile.

"What's this work?"

Law snatched it out of his touch, gathering everything together with sharp movements. Sanji watched him, amused that he was so angry. He wondered what he said to hit the other man so hard. He couldn't rightly remember too much of the conversation now that the painkiller was taking effect, but he felt that he could be functional if he had more rest. Whatever happened to him yesterday was something swept under the rug; despite it, he had things to do and a life to live.

"You are the only one that thinks this shit is acceptable," Law then snapped at him, feeling furious. "Even your own buddy agreed with what I did."

"That guy is free to make his own decisions," Sanji said. "I know he gets tired of being treated a certain way."

"The only reason," Law said, setting his things aside to shake a finger at him, " _you're_ the only one that thinks this way is because _you've_ been raised to feel like you aren't of any worth. In that line of thinking, _you're_ the one throwing these words around like _I'm_ doing wrong when really _you_ refuse to look at my side of things. You're the same – trying to dictate behavior you don't agree with and wanting to force your side of things because you damned well won't think of the other person's point of view."

Sanji considered this. He then shrugged. "I guess you got a point. But when it comes down to an entire colony against a person like me, it should be colony first as a prosperous people than a disposable dump. There ain't worth in a used mat when compared to a marble floor. Our time ain't like your time – less people than before, learning this new land – "

"Every time you open your mouth to say certain shit, I just want to remove it. You're so stupid."

"And yet you stand there, still trying to prove a point."

"From this point on," Law said, gathering his things once more, "your opinion means shit to me."

Sanji shrugged a shoulder, feeling more tired than before. He eased back into his blankets with a heavy sense of sluggishness. "Come back here in the morning, I'll have breakfast ready."

At that moment, Law's stomach rumbled noisily to remind him that he hadn't had anything to eat since stealing off with Perona's breakfast muffin before their trip to the library. Sanji looked at him with a heavy frown, lifting his head up. Half an hour later found Law sitting sullenly at the table with a warm plate of scrambled eggs mixed with greens and grain, wheat pancakes with fruit toppings and a warm cup of tea. Despite his pride and stubbornness, his stomach appreciated the sight before him and betrayed him with its intense need to have _something_. He started shoveling in food with a rotten expression, finding it difficult to take as the taste was so unlike what he was used to, but it was so satisfying. Zoro was snoring soundly on the couch but there was a plate made for him, too. Sanji was looking through the cookbooks Luffy had left, in awe over the pictures that depicted dishes suiting of the quartets' time. He had a limited reading ability, but he recognized words here and there.

He had his own plate in front of him, but was more involved in the cookbooks than he was with the company or his food.

"This is stuff you ate regularly?" he questioned with an awed expression, unable to imagine what a bacon topped cheeseburger tasted like. "This pure meat mix must be tough on the stomach!"

"Don't talk to me," Law muttered bitterly, chewing what he had in his mouth as he imagined the last time he had a burger. He'd used lettuce instead of bread, and he salivated with so much longing that his eyes water. All those times he'd rejected the usual presentation filled him with such regret. All the complaints he'd launched over the choice of fast food seemed so petty, now.

"Some of this I can do," Sanji murmured, ignoring the cross expression sent his way. "I can use things almost close to it to get as close to the dish as possible. Meat still gonna be an issue unless you wanna turn your dictatorship to huntin' animals to bring back on your own. Put it to good use."

It took some minutes for Law to finish eating. But once he released his fork, he glared at his table with more biting anger swelling up inside of him. The meal he'd just finished was filling, and even if he found things to complain about, Sanji would adjust his ingredients to somehow please him even while denying the effort. Surviving in this timeline had been extremely daunting at first, but the more they settled in the more Law found himself adjusting, and it was because of Sanji that his eating habits were starting to become more agreeable. Or perhaps it was just starvation, but he couldn't deny feeling satisfied every time he scraped his plate clean.

"Can you read this to me? I can memorize it," Sanji then said, turning the book Law's way to show him the dish. The venison steak stew with its mixture of vegetables and accompanying bread made longing build up inside of him again. But it pissed Law off that this man, who spoke intelligently in such a way to have his own mental processes stumbling, could not read well. He slapped the book out of his hands, reacting angrily to the frustration that made it difficult to bear.

Sanji kicked his chair, then stood up from his to retrieve the book. "Jerk. I'll talk to Robin, then," he muttered, finding the page that had been lost while Law sat there, feeling like a child moments later.

He closed his eyes with exasperation, annoyed with himself and the confusion that settled in around him. The scrape of the chair to his right alerted him to Zoro's presence, the wolf yawning as he settled over his dish.

"You feeling alright?" he asked Sanji.

"Better with Ussop's medicine."

"I smelled it. Don't like that stuff."

"Got a headache."

"It's three in the morning, and ya'll are eating already?" Zoro then asked, already cleaning off his dish with hungry action. "Got some new plans?"

"I just woke up. His stomach was growling."

"We had a busy day yesterday," Zoro said as Sanji returned to the table with a skillet of extra eggs and pancakes. He set down the pitcher he'd filled with fruit topping, and Law couldn't believe how much of him wanted seconds. But he stubbornly refused anymore, wanting to spite the man who made the food. Zoro helped himself. Sanji seemed unconcerned with Law's show of defiance, eating a few bites of his own meal before picking up another cookbook.

"Things should change," Zoro added with an uncertain expression. "Iceburg's way of doing things wasn't to satisfaction."

"Whose? _Yours_? His?" Sanji asked.

After a few moments, Zoro answered, "Mine."

"Why?"

"Cuz there was a ton of people there but none wanted to talk. It weren't going to stop."

"Putting your life out like that – that's defeating the purpose of what you left."

"Don't talk me out of a decision I made. Ain't gonna hear anymore."

"Then what you going to do? Follow along behind these guys while they maffick about in the wastelands after puttin' this colony down?"

"I'm going to see where the path takes me," Zoro answered with a light shrug. Sanji had his book lowered, watching him intently while Law focused on the leftover pancakes. "Ain't ya tired here? Eating scraps, looked at like we're scum, disrespected for things ya can't control? Seeing the way things are changing for us now, it feels like living a proper life can be more realistic."

"But what sort of life is out there for us?" Sanji asked, growing moody. "Wandering from place to place showing off your wares to those that either can use it or – "

"I can make my own life."

"What _reason_?"

"Well…I'm tired of slaughtering helpless people. The only one that could fight me back and live to tell about it, that gave me thought. There are stronger people out there, who's the toughest? Maybe there's something more than this life I got now."

"That's so _stupid_ ," Sanji muttered bitterly.

Law looked at Zoro with some newfound respect.

Sanji was silent and Law found it frustrating that Zoro was the only one that could reach Sanji like this. But maybe it had to do with their bond, too. If one went, the other had to follow. Law wondered how to sever that bond. He looked to one from the other with a roll of his eyes, and finally decided on taking the last pancake. As he dumped the toppings over it to create an even layer, Sanji set the book down.

"Their sense of living life means relying on you," Sanji told him. "They'd be using you."

Calmly, Zoro responded, "But there's a level of respect there that I don't got here."

"They only 'respect' you because you can give to them!"

"Not really. They tend to respect my boundaries."

"They don't either!"

"My mind's made up."

"You suddenly changed your mind just after yesterday?"

"I changed my mind because I'm tired after what I saw yesterday. It ain't gonna stop just cuz Iceburg says it should. There's other ways about it that they'll use. And not just that, but they don't look at us like human beings - "

"What have you been telling him?" Sanji snapped at Law, who startled at the sudden attack while taking a bite of his pancake.

"It wasn't him," Zoro interrupted calmly, folding his arms. "It's my own opinion. Quit talkin' like I ain't got one."

"But that's the stuff _he_ says, and not you!"

"And what makes you think I ain't ever thought it before?"

Frustrated, Sanji sat back down in his chair. Law cautiously began to chew again while the tension at the table racketed.

"That's _it_ then, you just gonna leave here and wander til you find someplace that respects you? Or you just going to force that opinion?" Sanji asked.

"I won't know until I'm actually out there. What's wrong with the idea? Ain't like anything gonna happen for you here, either," Zoro said.

After a few moments, Sanji muttered, "I don't got the same ability as you."

"But living here ain't gonna do nothin' for you, either. You gonna just keep wandering out every full moon and come back to scraps?"

Sanji was silent as he processed this. Law glanced at him once more, judging the expression on his face. Looking at Zoro he could see that Zoro was resolute in his stance. It didn't make sense that Sanji would listen to the very same spiel that he was telling him earlier, but accept Zoro's instead.

"We don't have to live like this," Zoro added.

"Ain't anything I got to say to change your mind," Sanji muttered. He rose out of his chair and walked back to the room, shutting the door behind him.

Law speared the pancake left behind on Sanji's plate and ate that before it could grow soggy. Zoro left the table with a shrug and returned to the couch to resume sleeping. Law finished every bit of food left behind with a sullen silence. It annoyed him how much of the tension felt more like a lovers' quarrel than a friends'.

He left the table as is, figuring Sanji would clean it after he was done pouting. He considered going back there and forcing his opinion on him again now that Sanji knew Zoro intended on walking away from this colony as well. So he walked in without any announcement to see that Sanji was resuming smoking on his painkiller, wearing a brooding expression.

"Your mind up to dick, now?" Law asked snidely.

"Got me all poked up," Sanji muttered, disregarding the tone since it was used correctly.

"You can either stay here and continue this senseless life or make something of yourself out there. Your choice is making the one that's comfortable for you, but my mind is made up."

"Meanin' I don't got one."

"Correct."

"Whatever happened to stayin' and adapting? You ain't got that just yet. Ya'll won't last long out there, and when that happens, neither of us will have a home to go back to."

"So you doubt your own strength and power? Zoro doesn't."

Bitterly, Sanji took a long drag before saying, "He's got the power to change minds with his own action. I'm an experimental failure. What do you think?"

"So it makes more sense sticking to those that do have it. You can't deny that."

"I refuse to serve up to anyone that lords their power over me."

Gritting his teeth at Sanji's stubbornness, Law wanted to drag him off the bed and beat him until he gave in. It would be easy to – but it wouldn't change Sanji's mind about him. As strange as it sounded he didn't want that sort of respect from Sanji.

"Then you'll stay here and live out this worthless life?"

Sanji shrugged. "Until someone does me in, I suppose…"

"What a stupid way to die!"

"Sorry if I ain't exactly following in your footsteps! But I was cast out for a reason! What's gonna happen when my heat comes?" Sanji faltered at that, trepidation in his features while he looked at Law. It seemed like something hit him at that moment, and Law kept his own features schooled into a rigid expression. "Are you gonna stash me away, or am I gonna be ser – ser-"

When he suddenly trailed off with a puzzled frown off to the side, Law's curiosity got the better of him. "What?"

Sanji pierced him with a look, eyes moving over his face with consideration. Then his eyes narrowed. "Why do you look guilty?"

"I don't. Why would I?"

Sanji was unblinking as he continued staring at Law, lowering his painkiller to the tray. Law felt like he was being examined from the inside out as those moments passed by in silence. With an uncomfortable look, Sanji looked away from him.

"I was with you the entire time, right?" he questioned low. "Had your scent all over me."

Law unwillingly found himself remembering nearly every moment from those few days. Sanji looked at him again, still with a piercing expression. His features suddenly flushed as his eyes darkened, mouth drawing into a frown.

"Did you take advantage of it?" Sanji then asked, voice dripping with resentment.

"Like I would lower myself to that, it was disgusting seeing others do it."

"Then why I feel like I _should_ be bothered with you when I think of it?"

Sullenly, Law asked himself why he should even answer. If Sanji couldn't remember what happened exactly, then why should he give himself away? At the same time, he did what was good for him so he steeled himself rigidly.

"Because I rejected your silly excuse for a heat and showed you another way to handle it. You were mindless until I introduced you to physical discouragement – "

" _What's that mean_?"

"I literally beat you until you could hold a coherent conversation. It worked. So I could use the same tactic again once we're out there. You heal fast, it should be fine by the time your mind returns."

Sanji stared at him with wordless outrage before looking away with a tired sort of defeat. Irritated by the lack of approval, Law added, "And I killed those men for trying to use you, forced you back to society, made Iceburg re-accept you, and this entire thing about being treated correctly and having men pay for their crimes, is that not a relief? Do you not know how to thank the hands that feed you?"

Picking at his pants, Sanji said nothing for several long moments. But he then inhaled to say low, "Then I'm indebted to you. Sorry for causing a fuss."

Law was satisfied with that acknowledgement. "Because of it, there will be no argument when we choose to leave."

Sanji sat back on his bed, looking at him with consideration. Observing the smug expression on Law's face, his then twisted into tired exasperation. But he gave up any other arguments that built over his tongue, putting them away because they were useless. Not because he did feel obligated to Law but because it was plain as day why Law did these things, and Law himself still had no idea why. For a man of reasonable intelligence, he lacked a few things.

"You're so _stupid_ ," he then muttered, Law's smug expression turning into a frown.

Law regathered up his things and glanced out the window. The skyline was lighter than it was before, and he guessed he would get a few hours of sleep before anything else happened. But he felt like he won a battle and that's what mattered. He grabbed his cape and left without saying anything else. Sanji just shook his head.


	18. Chapter 18

**HS: Very uneasy : ( But with how much LawSan I write, I need a little variety! D:**

 **AriesDanger24: People are, to a limited degree. But it's happening right in front of them, so do people actually change for the good, or bad? That's to be explored! It's okay to be fired up! Stories should get the brain exploding with random thoughts and feelings! XD**

 **Naghi-Tan: That's totally okay – I'm happy you feel that way, because it's a feeling and it's a thought; maybe this chapter will bring up something!**

 **Happy Balon: Find it!**

 **Sarge1130: Ah, thank you for your stream of reviews! Sanji and Zoro wanted acceptance and were okay with what they could get – never dreaming bigger than that. Now these guys came in with their views, pushed to get their respect, and now their (well, Zoro's) minds have been changed. And it's a good and bad thing – still stuff that needs to be worked out, but how that goes now… Law is a quiet character and can be scarily vengeful when he's upset; but he's still like the others. Childishly wanting approval and acceptance of his own. He would've never pushed for revenge for anyone else, though ; ) If it had happened to his companions he wouldn't care, but it happened to Sanji, so off he goes without fully understanding why. His agenda is the same, though – he wants to be treated humanely (unfortunately goes about it the wrong way, but it's the only way he knows how)**

 **: : Eighteen**

Later that morning, Iceburg arrived to check up on the situation. Apprehensive with the man's arrival, Sanji and Zoro stood cautiously as the man walked in with a tense expression, accompanied with two nervous looking guards. Once he spied Law sitting at the kitchen table with reading material and notes in front of him, Iceburg's frown stiffened. He looked to Sanji, who nervously fiddled with his fingers as he attuned himself to the man's anxiety, unable to ignore the way Iceburg regarded Law with unmistakable caution. The way Iceburg looking at Sanji himself allowed Sanji to see the change in the man's eyes – looking at him, rather than through him. He ended up lowering his own eyes anyway, uncomfortable with his own standing in front of a man he'd respected. Zoro's lips tightened with disapproval as he looked through Iceburg; already contented with where he now stood among men.

"How are you feeling today?" Iceburg asked Sanji stiffly, eyes shifting from man to man. Sanji noticed the way he lingered on Zoro, but Zoro wasn't interested in looking at him with anything other than a stone-faced expression.

Being unaware of the cause of the tension, Sanji wasn't sure how to answer other than, "Fine."

"Iceburg, does your medical team prescribe painkillers and follow up attention?" Law asked, not looking up from his writing.

"Are you in any pain?" Iceburg then asked Sanji, who noticed the way Iceburg responded to Law's question with a hard swallow.

"Just a headache that I'm treatin'."

"Then we can supply more if needed. You look…a lot better than the day of," Iceburg said with some visible examination. He found it troubling that the only remains of Sanji's injuries were a yellowish discoloring around that side of his eye and temple – he hadn't known the pair were self healing. There was much of them that he hadn't known that he was now starting to pay attention to them.

"I apologize for what was done to you," Iceburg then said quickly. "But the matter has been taken care of, and as I was unaware of the food matter. That won't happen again, as well."

It was the first time Sanji had heard any apology from the man, and looked at him with startled regard. Zoro looked over as well, both of them looking at each other with seemingly surprised action. Iceburg realized his words were awkward in their power; their faces spoke volume.

"A lot of things will change positively for the pair of you," Iceburg reassured him with a heavy exhale, Sanji then looking over at Law with suspicion. "As the full moon is coming upon us…you no longer have…any reason to isolate yourselves from the colony. I trust that you both can work it out here in the…safety and security of your own home."

Sanji wasn't sure what to say, Zoro frowning slightly.

"That's good to hear," Law said, turning a page. "It's about time common sense has come into play."

"But for the safety of the colonists, it has been advised that Zoro remain indoors," Iceburg said.

"That won't be a problem," Zoro said. "It's my own will that controls my form, not the moon."

Sanji looked at him with surprise.

Unsteady, Iceburg absorbed that information then looked to Sanji. He wasn't sure what to say, but he expected Sanji to say the same. Sanji looked at him with lingering shock before Iceburg realized that Sanji hadn't any idea of Zoro's control over his unstoppable form. The tension turned awkward once more.

"These things will be worked out amongst ourselves," Law assured Iceburg.

After a few moments, Iceburg looked to Zoro. He opened his mouth to speak, but thought better of it. Sanji stuffed his fists into his pants pockets as he felt confusion and anger whirl up inside of him as questions pelted him about his friend's long time ability to control his form.

"Then let's work together for the betterment of this colony," Iceburg said stiffly, turning to leave.

"Wait," Sanji stopped him, before bowing low before him. "I apologize for everything that had happened – "

"Don't apologize to him!" Law snapped, rising from his chair with outrage on his features. "There is _nothing_ you should be apologizing for! _He's_ the one that should be bowing before you, for all the times he's failed as a leader! He allowed his own fucking colony to allow this behavior!"

" – because we had caused so much trouble, we all will be leaving this place in a week's time," Sanji continued over him, looking at Iceburg regretfully. Zoro scowled at his friend. "It was my fault, my responsibility for…releasin' these people. Everything that happened as a result of it…it is _my_ fault."

Reddening with outrage, Law's mouth dropped open.

Iceburg regarded Sanji with a stiff expression before he acknowledged his words with a slight nod. Then he left the house without looking at the others, Sanji's face tightening with regret.

" _Bullshit_!" Law snapped at Sanji. "There is _nothing_ for you to apologize for - !"

"Enough from you!" Sanji snapped back at him. He looked at Zoro. "You ain't affected by the full moon? That was a lie?"

Zoro took a few moments to answer. "I'm not."

Feeling betrayed, Sanji glared at him before looking at Law. "What did you do to Iceburg?"

"You are a weak piece of shit, Sanji," Law snarled. "Apologizing to a person like that, who mistreated the pair of you like you were lower class citizens - !"

"Weak or not, it is my responsibility to bear," Sanji said, turning away from them. He felt overwhelmed, standing at the counter with a troubled expression. "I let you lot loose, _I_ opened the con-tant-ment units, I unleashed you out into this world. Makes sense to take it elsewhere, stop the senseless madness here. And you, beardsplitter, you said _nothing_."

"Lotta things happened to make my decision," Zoro said calmly.

Swallowing hard, Sanji glared down at the worn wood spaces below him as Law approached him.

"I'm not leaving here until I am ready," he hissed. "You'll not make that decision for me!"

"We're _gonna_ leave here. We already caused too much discord, and it apparent that you aren't willing to blend in with the most. Causin' too much stress an' hate. Killing people that don't need to be killed – they ain't no enemy of yours, you're just like one of your own captors, killin' just to have the power."

"This shit has to stop," Law growled. "You should be respected, not disregarded – "

"Ain't no sense in that when I got _nothing_ to respect," Sanji snapped at him, hitting the counter tops with both palms. He walked around him, glaring at Zoro on his way to the room, Zoro looking after him with a carefully rigid expression. The door slammed hard behind him, Law glaring off at the table with his arms crossed stiffly in front of him. Zoro glanced at him, then out the window, watching Iceburg and his team leave the area.

He then followed after Sanji, shutting the door behind him. His friend was sitting at the edge of the bed, looking shell-shocked before he straightened his shoulders and glared at him.

"Sorry for not sayin' anything," Zoro said, sitting on his bed across from him.

"All this time, you could've said somethin'. They changed you," Sanji muttered bitterly. "Ain't fair that someone I considered a friend kept these things from me."

"Wouldn't matter much, anyway. Things were fine until I saw that there's more than being treated this way. Like an animal."

"Ain't nothin' good coming from them! You'll wind up just like them!"

"There's nothing wrong with demanding to be treated better," Zoro said patiently. "All we was was trash to them until they saw differently. We're treated differently, now."

"You're _feared_ , not respected! It's not the same thing!"

"You can be, too. You're capable of it."

Sanji shook his head bitterly. "My family sent me off to die because I could give them nothin' like my siblings, and ain't nothing respectful about my abilities, now. Only a small animal – "

"That can think intelligently and get places no one else could."

"I'm not a person that should sneak about!"

"You got good instincts. Can tell a liar from another."

"Not good enough if I couldn't guess yours!"

"It was always there. Right in front of you, you just liked having a blind eye."

Sanji considered that with a bitter frown. But he said, "It wasn't like we told each other everything, anyway."

"None of us talks about the past, mostly because it ain't important."

"Things like that should be coming up, though."

"It should, but it don't matter now. Why would it?"

"Getting involved with these men, it gonna be the death of us."

"Why should we fear it?" Zoro asked incredulously. "Gonna live _safe_ the rest of our lives, not tryin' new things? Things changed my mind lately, and I don't think I want to live that way, again. _Tired_ of living that way. It's 'bout time for something different, now, time to get out the walls an' see what we're truly capable of. Gonna rot away here, living under conditions we ain't truly meant for."

"But under the influence of them?"

Zoro hesitated for a few moments, then said quietly, "Even if their version is not like ours, all they want is to be treated good. Like us. Like us, they ain't have it. Like us, they lived under the hands of others – "

"But we don't think like they do!"

"We don't, and that's our chance! To be different, show them different. Like kids, they are – kids can be taught."

"No," Sanji denied with a shake of his head. "They full grown, they already know what they want. Ain't tantrums they throwing to get it, they killing other people."

"Sometimes it don't matter. _Them_ people trying to kill us. Being fed scraps, Sanji! Being told we ain't worth it, being treated badly – no schooling, no one wants us to learn! They don't want to be around us! Too afraid, disgusted – and we did nothing to them, 'sides things that were out of our control!"

Sanji exhaled heavily, feeling the shake in his chest. Zoro stood, crossing the room to kick hard at the door.

"What's wrong with wanting something better?" Zoro then asked him, turning to face him. "Both of us do. When I was a slave, I didn't want that. I knew there was something else out there for me. You? There is something for you, too, you just too conditioned to think that there ain't."

"When the full moon comes, you won't change?" Sanji asked instead.

"No. Only changed because you did."

"Out of solidarity?"

"I thought I could help," Zoro admitted. "But I don't think right when I'm in it. It's just instinct."

"Neither of us can change that aspect of ourselves, so what makes ya think it'll change with them?"

Zoro shrugged. "Nothin', I suppose."

"It could get worse."

"Just gotta try it."

"Ain't nothing going to help mine."

"I'm able to pull back because of your scent. That was a change I ain't ever expected. Things can change – it's just finding the right fit." Zoro adjusted his swords. "Let's go visit Robin – she has maps."

"Ussop brought them already. I ain't going outside."

"Why?"

"No reason for me to be out there."

"Because you're scared? Of them?" Zoro then asked impatiently.

"No. Too much death on my hands – "

"At their own fault!"

"If I'd kept myself safe, no one would be dead – "

"It's ain't your fault!"

"It's _all_ my fault!" Sanji snapped at him, rising from his bed. " _All of it_!"

Zoro gave him a disgusted look. "You thought things could change positively for them. It did. They got their respect, somethin' they didn't have living under the Marines' rules. The colony respects them, now, cuz they demanded proper human treatment. They got it. _We_ got it."

"What makes them different from the Marines is that they in a different world, now," Sanji insisted. "They got power no one else does, and they abuse it in a way that's no different from what the Marines were gonna do with them. They set in their ways, and will do nothing to stop it. We ain't that type of human – but grouped together with them, do you wanna see yourself as a villain?"

"I'm not a villain," Zoro said quietly. "But I ain't less than human, either."

He left the room, Sanji hearing his heavy footfalls leave the house. He sat back down onto his bed, hands anxiously moving to his hair as the front door opened and closed. At this point, thoughts of his family came back to him – old memories that were clouded by time and trauma.

His sharp sense of scent had him rolling his eyes, dropping his hands to his knees. It made sense why Zoro kicked the door earlier.

"It doesn't matter what you say," he said. "But after the full moon, we're leaving this colony."

After a few moments, Law leaned against the doorframe. He had an imprint of the door against his cheek. "The colonists have already agreed to play nicely with us."

"Don't matter what they say. This isn't the place for you. There are others in the wasteland more better to your needs," Sanji said bitterly. He tilted his head slightly, catching a telltale sound of incoming company.

"It's disgusting how you feel so much for those that have mistreated you," Law stated angrily. "Stockholm Syndrome much?"

"I don't know what that is, but it's funny you say that to me," Sanji told him, rising from his bed. Pushing past him to head to the kitchen, he said over his shoulder, "Considering how closely you follow after me."

Law scowled, rubbing at the imprint on his cheek. He felt he should feel something of that statement, but because it was an uncomfortable feeling, he pushed it away. He made a stubborn face because he didn't want to talk to the room, but he would have to follow after Sanji to be heard.

"This colony will continue to give you nothing," Sanji said from the kitchen, the sound of pans rattling around. "And if you wanna be strong, then there's other obstacles to cross. Power don't mean nothin' if you can't challenge it."

"I'm not looking to rule, to gain power or conquer," Law said, pushing away from the doorframe and reluctantly moving out towards the kitchen. "All I want is to exist peacefully with the acceptance of how others perceive me and to be treated individually as a human being."

"Where is Rebecca and Viola?" Sanji then asked. "They ain't been here for some time."

Law ignored that question. "You almost sound educated on what it means to have power."

Focused on gathering various ingredients from the cupboards, Sanji was stubbornly silent. Once he had a bowl full of wheat flour and spices, he mixed it with a fork.

"My family was the conquering types. That's why we was changed."

"With a science base, they'd be a good place to visit."

"I ain't ever going back there. No reason to. Be my guest, I'll send you in that direction."

"You'll go just to prove them wrong about you."

"My siblings were fixed to represent strong animal types like Zoro to aid in my father's ambitions. A useless fox like me ain't part of that plan."

"In that route, that would mean they would transform in animal beasts like Zoro?"

"To a degree. Half and half."

"Yet you transform into a full fennec fox."

"That's why I'm the failure. I ain't half like them."

"Have you ever tried?"

"They was trained to do so. I was sent to sea."

"Then you have the capability to do so. Just as Zoro said, he wasn't aware of his own capabilities until – "

"Snoopin' on others conversations is considered rude."

"Why is it he can get through to you, but _my_ common sense cannot?"

"He's my friend!"

"Still? After he deceived you?"

Sanji sullenly regarded the mixing bowl, carefully adding in milk.

"He wants out, too, Sanji. And would you hold him back because you're that selfish?"

"You're a selfish one!"

" _You_ are because he knows what he wants, and you're trying your best to convince him otherwise. You won't let him go because he doesn't think like you, anymore. He doesn't want to think of himself as a doormat like yourself. He thinks there is more for him out there, and he should be allowed to think so."

"He's not a bad person like you bunch – "

"Are we really that bad?" Law asked curiously. "Might I remind you, we could be senselessly killing every colonist here, rearranging it to fit our needs, and yet I've only eliminated those that have hurt you, and have tried to hurt us. So how does that make any of us 'bad'?"

Sanji stopped mixing. He was tired, he had a headache, and he could feel a faint fever building in his body as the full moon grew close. But there was a huge part of him that continued to want to rebel against Law's words. He absolutely could not see it the older man's ways – all he saw was a colony cowering before a group primed with power to use it carelessly, the way his own father had.

"Because you don't place yourself with any value, you refuse to open up – "

"Then what makes me valuable?" Sanji challenged him, lowering the bowl. "What makes me valuable to you?"

"You're a cook. You can provide."

"That's common sense, idiot."

"You can transform – "

"A small animal easily eaten by bigger prey! Try again!"

"You are reasonably intelligent – "

"It ain't 'intelligence' that motivates you to stick around and give me a headache! I know what you think of my 'intelligence', and it ain't anything good!"

"You cook shit I can actually eat around here, _that's_ what makes you useful!"

"For a smart man like yourself, you're just as stupid as flies on poop. As dumb as you think I am, even _I_ get it, I just don't understand it," Sanji muttered bitterly. Before Law could gather breath to exclaim outrageously, Luffy slammed the door open and marched in, Perona and Kid following close behind with complaints immediately filling the air. Sanji looked at them. "Shut up! I'm cooking right now, could hear you miles away!"

"You promised me a cupcake! You were hiding them from me!" Luffy exclaimed, pushing Law out of the way to lay over the counter. "How could you know I was hungry and not give me these treats you were giving everyone else? Why are you so selfish?"

"What's a 'cupcake'?" Sanji asked as Perona set aside her umbrella, Kid looking around with a disappointed frown.

"These cake treats with frosting on them! Perona had one!"

"I don't know what those are!"

"It was just a lie to have you cooperate," Perona said as she took a seat at the table, shoving Law's books off to the side, forcing him to clean up before anymore fell into a similar fate. "After much sightseeing around here, it's _obvi_ that these people don't eat those things. They eat cake with sugar on top and nothing else."

Luffy stared at her, then at Law with an accusing frown. Law ignored him.

"Where's Zoro?" Kid asked casually.

"Probably marking his new territory," Sanji muttered bitterly, checking the temperature of the stove before setting down flatcakes mixed with pieces of vegetables. Letting them cook, he started mixing up quick ingredients for a vegetable based soup.

"What's that about?" Kid asked with a disappointed frown. "We came over for breakfast and get attitude. After everything we did for you."

"Better with 'attitude' than nothin' at all!"

"Service with a smile, asshole! The customer is always right!"

"I ain't being paid, am I?" Sanji asked him snidely.

"This was all a _lie_?" Luffy whined, his expression displaying his dismay. "I was expecting to be rewarded for my hard efforts, and now I'm getting nothing at all! The next time you guys say anything about a reward, should I believe it?"

" _No_ ," Perona said.

"Yes," Law answered.

" _Maybe_ ," Kid grumbled. "Depends on the situation."

"I give you everything I got, ain't hiding anything from you," Sanji muttered as he turned the flame up. "Least of all food, since you eat everything I try and hide here for ourselves!"

"Iceburg brought over a ton of food, Sanji – can't you make cupcakes from all that?" Luffy whined, stretching out an arm to touch his face. "Hey, you're all healed! Do you have powers like us?"

"Don't touch me. And no, I don't know how, I can't read!"

"I can! Kid, throw me that book! You can make them right now!"

"I am hungry right now, we were fed pig slop," Kid complained, sinking down onto the couch with his stomach rumbling noisily.

"Are you sure that's not diarrhea?" Perona asked cautiously. "Because I was eating the same thing you did, and my intestines are shaking."

"That's a normal thing for you because you're full of shit!"

"Shut up, Kid!"

" _You_ shut up!"

Sanji rubbed his right temple as Luffy went and retrieved the book for himself. The rubber boy then stretched himself back to the kitchen, sitting at the edge of the counter as he flipped through the pages thoughtfully. Once he found what he was looking for, he showed Sanji a picture of cupcakes decorated with frosting, sprinkles and a cherry. Sanji stared at it, lowering his knife to look at it with interest. Luffy pointed out the ingredients, reading upside down clumsily.

Perona looked to Law with a draw of her brow, noticing the man's foul mood. "What's your problem?" she asked curiously. "Usually you're super glee-tastic with some pervert plan."

" _Nothing_."

"When's Zoro coming back?" Kid asked with a sigh.

"You're so grossly in love with him," Perona said with disgust, causing him to sputter indignantly as he sat up. "Keep it soft in your pants, we're having a serious discussion, here. Asides from the shitty face, we saw Iceburg going from house to house, today. Made the effort to completely avoid our neighborhood. He's up to something."

"None of it concerns me," Law muttered, closing all his books and rolling up scrolls. Perona noticed that some of them had human brain diagrams on them, and the texts were medical related. His handwriting filled various spaces, along with drawings of his own. However he worked to learn about something, Perona wasn't interested in it until something was produced because of it. "He was here, earlier. Perhaps he was spreading warning for every rapist to stay inside during the incoming full moon."

Perona winced as she glanced over at Sanji, but Luffy had his full attention. Luffy had brightened up as he read clumsily, his own ability limited – it was as if Perona was listening upon a couple of young children as they sounded out words and disagreed on meaning.

"It really bothers you, huh," she said, crossing an ankle over a knee so that her skirts fell over them completely. She sneered. "Both of you idiots are twitterpated."

"What does that mean?" Kid shouted while Law gave her a dirty look.

"Is that another one of your stupid words?" Law asked her.

"It means both of you want to screw other boys!" Perona shouted over both of them, gleefully raising her hands to the ceiling.

Kid ensnared her one of her pigtails and yanked her head back, causing her to yelp with alarm while Law looked thoughtful. But he quickly rearranged his expression as Perona escaped Kid's grasp by twisting his Adam's Apple with her fingernails.

"It's only _obvious_!" Perona continued over Kid's strangled hacking, his hands at his throat as he backed away. She gave Law an impatient look. "I wish I could say it was romantic, but it's _you_ _two_ – and you two are so _stupid_ that the very concept of romance is lost in layers of misunderstandings and substitutions! So _you_ probably think it's only because you admire his powers and _you_ think it's the only way we can logically survive in the wasteland! Both of you are stupid!"

Kid and Law looked at each other, then gave her similar puzzled looks. "But it's true, and it doesn't mean it's gay," Kid said with a shrug. "A bro can admire another bro without feeling like…any other way about it. It has nothing to do with your idiotic Twilight ideals!"

"I successfully managed to start a super-powered mutiny beginning with these two that turned around the colonists' view of them and all of us, and it started with him because it made more sense," Law stated stiffly. "He was the focal point of the activity – dumb ass."

Perona reddened. "BOTH of you are dumbasses because you're so fucking _delusional_ that you think this is all logic when _really_ , it's because you both looked at two boys and thought, _Hey, my dick is a wonderland when they're around_ – "

"Where do you get this stuff?" Kid asked her incredulously while Law furrowed his brow.

"This is true life shipping because I see it with my own eyes!" Perona roared. Then she gave them a sweet smile. "Let me help you! I can get the message across better than you two, can. I can be the matchmaker."

" _NO_!" both of them chimed in horrified response, glaring at each other.

"It's not because we're buds or anything," she added quickly, "but because you two will fuck it up somehow. _You'll_ end up raping somebody in the name of 'science', and _you'll_ get your ass shredded by a monstrous beastial dick, because both of you suck at being people."

" _SHUT UP_!" Kid roared, face and neck red.

Law looked thoughtful, so Perona threw one of his pencils at him.

"This is for the safety and security of your asses!" Perona screamed. She straightened. "Also, once they kill you both with their own hands, _I'm_ going to need them for my next project, so I want them to live."

Law exchanged her with the rain barrel from outside – Kid applied the locks, huffing. At the sound of her kicking at the door with outrage, Luffy and Sanji finally looked over, drawn by the sudden silence.

"Oh, did Perona go home to poop again?" Luffy asked curiously, lowering the book to his lap while Sanji examined the picture of the dessert with a thoughtful expression. He began searching the cupboards for what he had.

"Yeah," Kid answered gruffly, all of them ignoring Perona's struggle to get back into the house. One of the windows flew open, and she crawled in with threats and curses directed their way. Once she had climbed down onto the couch, Law exchanged her with one of the dining room chairs from their house. The chair tipped over noisily against the floor. "It was an emergency shit, call an ambulance."

He looked to Law, who looked uncommonly flustered. When both of them made eye contact, they immediately looked away. Kid cleared his throat.

"It's not true," he assured Luffy, who gave him a clueless look. "None of it, just so you know."

"She says shit that doesn't make sense to anyone," Law added bitterly, Sanji looking at him with a frown.

"Just causing trouble like females do, always with their dumb ass dramatic fits," Kid said with a huff, approaching the counter and looking over the stove. "Is this done yet?"

"No, it's not, get out!" Sanji retorted, finding a bag of flour. He tossed it onto the counter. "If you want to make yourself useful, go find the things I'd circled on that book and bring it back."

"I ain't your slave!" Kid exclaimed.

" _Do it_ , or I serve this to the dogs!"

"Kid, we _have_ to do it!" Luffy cried, hopping down from the counter with the book. "If we don't, we can't eat cupcakes! Who has the money?"

"No one has money! Just go and take it, they fucking owe us!" Kid snapped at him.

"Oh, right! Be right back!" Luffy shouted, racing out the door with a determined expression. Kid looked after him with exasperation, then at Sanji.

"When's Zoro coming back?" he asked again.

"Go look for him! Tell him food is almost ready."

" _Where_ do I look for him?"

"Library, talking to Robin."

Kid gave Sanji a frown. "Why's he there by himself? Don't you two hang out with each other? The last time he left you by yourself, you got creamed."

"Obviously, _I'm_ here," Law muttered, seating himself on one of the chairs.

"That's what I'm _saying_! He trusts _you_? Why does he trust you and not me?"

"I'm the only adult here."

"SHUT UP!"

"He went there because he's preparing for our leave," Sanji snapped over both of them. "We're leaving this colony after the full moon."

"We're not leaving," they said in unison, then glared daggers at each other.

Ignoring their declaration, Sanji said, "Ussop brought by the maps I'd requested, but we don't have none of the north side of the island. To get off the island, we'd need a ferry. That's where you lot will leave me. I'll have none of your adventure or company from then on."

" _What_?" the pair asked, then glared venomously at each other.

"You're just _walking_ us there?" Kid then asked while Law said, "Staying behind to die a useless death when there is more advantage to a further exploration of your worth?"

"I ain't a part of your group. I don't _think_ like you, I don't _like_ you, but you'll do more harm than good here than out there," Sanji said, turning over the cakes. The golden brown color caused Kid to salivate. "Out there, the wastelands will determine your worth."

"Who's going to cook for us, then?" Kid asked, the door slamming open, Perona red-faced and furious as she stood there.

"You should have learned by then – "

"You're going to leave Zoro behind?"

Sanji eyed him as Perona slammed the door shut and ventured towards the table, seething at the sight of Law ignoring her. "Are you…do you fancy Zoro? I've never heard his name leave someone's mouth as much as it does yours."

Kid's face clashed with his hair. "NO!"

"YES!" Perona shouted. "Isn't it obvious, Sanji? Kid has this gross crush on Zoro, and Law -"

Sanji blinked at the sight of a random colonist standing where she had been sitting, his eyes wide with horror. With much scrambling and frantic breathing, the colonist hastily left the house. Somewhere in the distance, he heard Perona shriek in outrage. He looked back at Kid, who was scowling at the ceiling.

"I don't know if that'd work," he said. "Zoro has suitors, but none like you."

"Why, are they all girls?"

"Of course. Some men, but every one of them he finds fault with. He doesn't seem to have any needs or wants."

"You wouldn't know that because you don't know all of him," Law murmured, Kid looking at him with something near to relief before he caught himself doing so. Sanji gave Law a bitter look, then scowled as he turned away. Watching him bang supplies together, studiously ignoring them, Kid looked at Law with flustered dismay.

Law shrugged in response. "What, did I get your hopes up?"

"You're a horrible person, _die_ a fiery death."

"I'll see you there, _lesbian_."

Noises erupted from Kid, but Law wasn't sure if they were words. He focused on Sanji. "Where are we headed from the ferry?"

"I don't care," Sanji muttered. "Pick a direction."

"Then we'd need an entire map of the world – "

"There ain't any here. Iceburg discourages them in an effort to reduce survivor trauma. You'll find answers in the wastelands."

"How is this not considered a dictatorship?" Kid asked incredulously. "This guy is keeping information of the outside a secret from the inside, under talks of peace and prosperity!"

"That's how some people like it."

"This colony is shit!"

"Ain't no complaints until you all came in. Once out there, you're gonna wish you stayed," Sanji muttered. "But maybe you won't – maybe you'll like it out there."

"Then what's out there?"

"Not only are there animals, there are groups of marauders – only interested in supply and demand. They can either take you as a slave, sell you, or kill you. Whatever you're valued."

"That ain't scary."

"If those two things don't kill you, the environment will."

"We'll have you two to survive."

"Will you?" Sanji asked curiously. "We're under no threat – that green haired dog might agree with your standards for now, but how's he gonna feel with you chewing at his teat?"

Kid felt himself blush at the choice of words. Law examined this expression, which made Kid flustered.

"He could turn around and leave because his mind changes at apparent whims," Sanji muttered bitterly. "You're not lifting a finger here to help – yours will be blistered with the efforts to save yourselves not even a week later."

"Abiding by colony work isn't fitting of my hands, but if it forces me to do so out there, then so be it. We can make marauders work for us, right?" Kid asked Law.

"I'm not leaving," Law said. "Not until I have the information I need."

"What do you need that's so damn important?"

"The base is still of interest for me."

"They're _dead_!" Kid exclaimed noisily. "They wanted us dead, failed that, and now we're on our own! We don't need any more of their shit!"

"You might be satisfied living in the dark, but I'd rather know _why_ I'm in the dark," Law said.

"There is nothing more we need from that," Kid said. "We are what we are, we don't need to know anymore, any less!"

"Don't you ever wonder where we came from?" Law asked him. "Did we have families? What happened to our families?"

"No, and _I don't care_! I was too young to remember having a family! It doesn't matter anymore, because it's me, myself and I now."

"Knowing these things would help us identify any future event that might occur as the result of constant genetic experimentation," Law said. "Did your family have heart problems? Because you might have a hole in your heart and you'd die at the height of your excitement as a result of it. You tend to get short winded very fast."

"That's because I yell. _A lot_."

"Was Perona born with a melanin disorder that prevents her from experiencing too much of the sun? Is that why she wanders about with an umbrella?"

"She's a motherfucking _vampire that sparkles_."

"Does Luffy have ADHD and a sociopathic disorder? Mental illnesses run in the family."

"Luffy is just _mental_ , dude."

"These things are relevant when it comes to possible hindrances in our future journeys. Without any amount of science to trust when it comes to identifying them, we might not even have a future."

"So you're just _perfect_ , huh?"

"So Sanji will lead us back to his hometown in order for me to take advantage of it," Law concluded.

"I ain't taking you anywhere," Sanji vowed. "I'm just going to point you in the direction I remember and you find it."

"Therefore, the base is of interest to me until I find the information I need regarding our histories," Law said, sipping at his coffee, then spitting it onto the floor. He signaled for a refill.

He scowled when Sanji ignored him, filling plates with flatcakes. He spooned broth into bowls, then added extras to them. He set plates before them both before returning with a pitcher of thick gravy. He spilled some on Kid's before Kid started eating, cheered with the explosions of flavor that hit him. He made Law pour his own, cleaning up the mess he made with the preparations.

Luffy rushed through the door, carrying bags over his shoulders, book in his mouth. He tossed them all onto the counter and took to the table, scrambling to shove as much as he could while the others protested. Sanji kicked him over the table, sending plates rattling while he cursed. He made a plate for Luffy as he righted himself, anxiously waiting for his serving while chewing what he'd managed to cram into his mouth.

Satisfied that everyone had a plate, Sanji returned to the kitchen, looking through the supplies Luffy had brought.

"Didja guys know Iceburg's planning a revolt?" he asked curiously. "Because the marketplace was selling what they could and then planning on all meeting at some super-secret spot in the colony to fight us. I was definitely intrigued."

"Where'd you learn that word?" Kid asked curiously.

"Because Robin said it was. She and Zoro are taking a walk together by the fields."

"How'd you run into them by the _fields_?"

"I asked Robin for some money."

"If they're all in one place, it'll be easier to slaughter them," Law said with a shrug.

"We're leaving before then!" Sanji snapped at all of them, wearing an incredulous expression. "We've done enough!"

"I'm not leaving," Law said stubbornly. "There is nothing that they can do to us."

Ussop hurried through the doorway, sweating profusely. "Did you guys hear? The colony's planning a revolt."

"Yeah, we got it from them."

Ussop hurried over to Sanji. "They're planning it during the full moon. Iceburg is confident that you'll be the distraction."

Sanji gave him a tired look. He glanced at the others, all of them more involved with complaining about their food than the sharing of information. "Does Zoro know of this?"

"They both do. Rebecca and Viola come back yet? I'm worried about those guys, they've never been gone for so long," Ussop said with concern.

"They haven't."

"What should we do…?" Ussop asked, trailing off. "A bunch of people are going to die if they try and stand off with these guys."

Sanji looked at the book he had propped atop of the counter. He tried not to feel hurt in anyway, but his chest ached. He thought about the way Iceburg had looked at him this morning, the way a desperate man did desperate things for the good of others.

"Then we'll leave before then," he said reluctantly. Ussop nodded heavily a few moments later, his expression drawn with sadness before lighting up.

"I'll go with you guys. Far as I'm concerned, you two are my only family," he said. "Wherever you guys go, I'll go."

"It might not be worth it, Ussop." Sanji glanced at the others. "They won't last long out there. And we'll be out of a home."


	19. Chapter 19

**Naghi-Tan: it's random - but inspo** **got me so here I am!**

 **: : Nineteen**

Iceburg had just turned down the last of his house lights when a slight creak of weight against wood caught his attention. He wasn't sure of the sound, his heart rate racing madly as he strained his ears. Ever since the quartet had arrived within the colony walls, the atrocities that they'd committed had left him a former shell of a man. He'd seen too many deaths committed in wicked ways, and he wouldn't admit to those around him that he'd lost sleep because of it. As troubled as his mind was, he was left jumpy, insecure and frightened. Thinking that he'd lift his head one day and see either Law standing in front of him or a beast. He wasn't sure who scared him more – a mindless beast that slaughtered just for the fun of it or a calculating man without a heart.

He settled into his room, and the rustle of blankets and creak of the wooden frame made him still – he thought he heard nails on wood, and his heart raced mindlessly once more, imagining Zoro prowling through his halls as the beast that the colony feared.

"Franky?" he called out, hearing the rustic noise of his robotic servant as he trotted towards the room from one of those out in front. The robot was a mess of parts and broken down from an old AI from one of the military bases' many labs – it wasn't the most intelligent of beings, but it served Iceburg whatever reasonable command he had without a complaint. About four feet tall, it had treads for feet, a rustic metal body with 'F' imprinted against the stomach and chest area, a basketball shaped head with goggle-like eyes that blinked with color whenever he was ready for a command. The top of his head was painted a light blue – whatever Franky had been back then, Iceburg couldn't imagine. Perhaps he was a toy in the making, because he couldn't see any military-like use of him.

"What?" the robot asked, a tinge of crankiness in it. It was impossible to imagine that he had any feelings, other than what he'd been programed with. Iceburg figured it was his own wild imagination running away from him.

"Look around the house for any intruders – make sure the doors are locked, and windows tight," Iceburg said, pulling up his blankets.

"Sure, boss," Franky said, rolling away.

Iceburg felt comforted with that, resettling in his bed. He stared out at the darkness, thinking about the plans that were being made – he was positive Sanji would be the distraction he'd needed to get the jump on the group. If they could take Zoro down before he could transform, then the beast was eliminated. They'd use rubber bullets on Kid, hurting him enough for a team to burst in to disable him with force. Iceburg was counting on Law being distracted with Sanji in heat; it was only obvious the murderer was infatuated with him. Iceburg had noticed previously that Law needed his hands to activate his powers; he remembered Sanji forcing them to his sides during that one encounter. His snipers were instructed to hit those, first. Perona didn't show any other special ability other than raising the dead – she'd be easy to take down as well.

It was the rubber boy that made Iceburg uneasy – he was capable of deflecting bullets, absorbing force, and had a penchant for wanting a battle. But if they could eliminate the others, then Luffy should be no more problems if he hadn't anyone to instruct him.

There were going to be heavy casualties if they failed to take down the most dangerous of them, but Iceburg had been planning this for awhile. It was for the safety and security of the colony – their demands were growing too big. He did feel a sense of reluctance to admit that the pair that had come to the colony as children had been misunderstood. He acknowledged that he'd failed that aspect based on fear. They had worked with the colony and kept out of the way without complaints all this time, and Iceburg could look back and regret that he hadn't done more for them than he should have.

They had been children looking for shelter and Iceburg had failed them.

But he couldn't look back, now – he had only the future to consider, and the colony's future was at stake.

He looked up at the sound of wood shifting and froze as fear rendered him paralyzed. Frantic thoughts raced through him with anxiety and panic before he realized he was only looking at Sanji. The man was pulling on a battered robe, the material worn thin, the lapels heavy with some kind of animal fur. As Iceburg re-gathered his thoughts, he was then horrified, wondering if the full moon had come suddenly; he had the thought that the fox had intended on using him. He demurely covered his chest, heart pounding with fear. All his thoughts fell away with a clatter as Sanji tied the robe closed with an embarrassed look.

"Sorry for doing this," he said quietly. Iceburg realized he wasn't even sure of the man's age; he was still young, perhaps a boy in his late teens. He wondered if he and Zoro celebrated birthdays. He sat up suddenly, sweat at his brow. "I came to talk you out of the revolt."

"Things like this are better kept to the day," Iceburg said unsteadily, reaching over to turn on a lamp. The way Sanji stood allowed him to avoid being seen from the windows, blending in with the shadows of the room. "And what 'revolt'?"

"I gave my word on removing us from the colony before then, but I thought to approach you first. I ain't here for your life, or something like that – I just think that you should wait," Sanji said, crossing his arms in front of him as he stood at the end of the bed. He then gave Iceburg a sheepish shrug. "I'm not in heat, either, don't worry. I snuck out in my other form."

"Where do you come from, Sanji?" Iceburg then asked curiously. "I don't recall you or Zoro saying anything about where you've originated from."

"It doesn't matter. To stop any more loss of life, don't approach them. It's a senseless way to lose everybody, and they ain't the type to negotiate," Sanji said. "There's been enough deaths around here."

"When you two arrived as children, neither of you were wearing anything appropriate of any other colony," Iceburg then said, folding his hands on his lap. "So did you venture here from another colony, or were you both products of the wastelands?"

"Why would this matter now?" Sanji then asked. "After all this time?"

For a few moments, Iceburg considered his answer before saying, "Because if there are more like you, then there must be a way to prevent any more like you past those gates."

Sanji frowned.

"Our colony is relatively new, but we are successfully thriving," Iceburg continued. "We are a peaceful people, but there are people like you out there that takes advantage of it. Because of this experience, I'm afraid I will have to change a few rules when it comes to survivor intakes."

"I was influenced by this place to think good about everyone, and I thought the same would happen when I let that lot go. I thought that if they settled here, they'd live a fine life like ours – "

"You thought you had a 'fine life'?" Iceburg repeated, looking at him sharply. He remembered the pail of food Sanji had intended on bringing home; rotted, wilted fare that no one had wanted. He thought about their isolated house, the way colonists turned away from them; he thought about how hated and feared they were, how they were never able to participate in colony holidays. They wore old clothes, were uneducated, living life on scraps and opportunity – a hellish sort of life. So he searched for sarcasm and anger in that young face and saw _nothing_ of what he was looking for.

"I did. We were given shelter, food, a place to come back to. It was enough."

"You were denied school, benefits, socialization amongst others – taken advantage of and turned away, and you thought you lived 'fine'?"

"It was more than what I had at home, and more than what Zoro had. Maybe it wasn't your best, but it was better than that. That's why I think fondly of this place, and why I'm approachin' you now. I can get them to leave – but you can't bear arms at them. They're trained to respond, you'll lose life because of it. It'd be pointless."

Iceburg considered his words, hearing Franky slowly return back to his room from the hall. The robot approached his bedside as Sanji kept himself rooted in place, the darkness keeping him effectively hidden from the AI's sight.

"Nothin' boss. Everything was locked up tight," Franky reported. "No boogieman underneath the bed."

Iceburg looked at Sanji, thinking of all the small places a fox could hide. Sanji gave him nothing in response.

"Very well," he then said, dismissing Franky. "Just keep an ear out for anything unusual."

"Yeah, right. But who are you talking to?"

Iceburg frowned at him before Franky turned and rolled off, and Iceburg wondered how he could possibly be reprogrammed to be more observant. He returned his attention to Sanji.

"So you thought to approach me to beg off a supposed uprising?" he then asked.

"I wouldn't try to lie about it. You're trusting that a colony with non-combatants could square off equally against people who have been trained since childhood to deflect militant attacks," Sanji said quietly. "All you're doing is endangerin' your own people."

"And you can prevent this from happening by forcing them away from the colony?"

"I got my confidence in my word."

"How much confidence is in that?" Iceburg asked warily. "The one in charge doesn't seem like he's willing to leave just yet."

"I can do this. They're argue about it, but they'll follow him, too."

"And Zoro?"

"He gots his own mind, now. But if he leaves, they'll leave, too. They rely on us, now. They got no one else."

"This colony is bountiful with food, security and conveniences – why _would_ they leave?" Iceburg asked cautiously. "It'd make sense that they stay."

Sanji considered the answer before saying, "They don't want to rule – they want a challenge. And this place ain't no challenge for them, considering how easy it is to slaughter them."

Iceburg frowned, but it was a safe answer. He nodded in response.

Seeing that he'd gotten through to him, Sanji asked, "Will you stand down?"

"I can't lay down arms completely," Iceburg said, "with your heat approaching – "

"I'm leaving before then, it won't be a problem."

Because he was counting on it as a major part of his plan, Iceburg felt trepidation. But he said, "Do you need supplies?"

"No," Sanji answered, surprised at the offer. From one of his robe's pockets, he produced a slip of paper. "I'm sorry if you can't read it."

He dropped it onto the bed and before Iceburg's eyes, he disappeared from sight. Leaning over, he saw the fennec fox pulling his robe along behind him, leaving through the doorway with a determined pull at the material. Iceburg could hear it drag down the hallway, and he listened for Franky's alert. But the robot sounded off with nothing and Iceburg huffed as he straightened, astounded at the AI's lack of intelligence. He thought over the conversation that was just held, exhaling heavily. He reached out and took the paper, crinkling his brow as he struggled to understand what was said. It was near similar to that of a grade-schooler just learning how to write, but he understood the concept.

He lowered the paper with a frozen expression, then hurried out of bed.

Later that day, Law walked into the house with an impatient bang of the door. He set aside the books he'd taken from the library onto the kitchen table, scanning the kitchen. Zoro was already out, looking for Ussop; he'd run into him after leaving the library. Law thought it was odd for Zoro to talk to Robin so much, but he had to admit that he didn't pay much attention to Zoro. Kid had been debating on a maroon outfit compared to the new all black outfit that Perona had completed, their shouts driving Law crazy. She wanted to dress them similar for their 'predatory actions', but Kid wasn't in love with the color or the meaning.

The tunic over pants was fine with Law – as long as it wasn't in his way and he had pockets to line with pencils and a snack for later. There was some type of grey spotted fur attached to his shoulders, the legs and head cut away to prevent him from identifying the animal. He wondered where Perona had access to these pieces, but it wasn't a pressing matter. As long as he was dressed.

Perona had looked at him with approval, Kid sneering at him. Luffy had been busy cutting all his pants to create shorts instead, tossing material over his shoulder as the woman was distracted. "A Game of Thrones contender," she'd said. "Perfect for all your villainy."

The days were still hot with wildfire smoke drifting overhead, thickening the air with ash and discomfort, but it wasn't as bad as it had been when they'd left the bunker. The fire was moving away from their direction, leaving behind stripes of black along the mountains and horizon. The sun was still a bright red orb in the distance, but the temperatures had shifted slightly – it would be autumn, soon.

He ventured over to the stove and found that the percolator was still warm – he poured himself some coffee then frowned at the containers on the counter; since Sanji always served him, he wasn't sure which was what. He opened one that had white substance inside and dumped some into his cup. Taking a sip, he then spit it out immediately, nearly gagging as the salty taste assaulted his tongue.

" _SANJI_!" he called out impatiently, dumping that out into the sink. He set the cup aside, not wanting to do this on his own. He stalked away from the kitchen and opened up their room to find it empty. Sullen, he returned to the kitchen to glare at the percolator. He poured himself another coffee, giving the black liquid a pouty stare. He set it aside and slumped into a chair at the table before opening his books, flipping through the pages with a sense of impatience.

When the silence extended, he looked around himself once more, trying to picture Sanji's whereabouts. With the full moon approaching, he was sure the man was preparing for it – he'd reluctantly agreed to stay in the house, so perhaps he was just gathering supplies that might be useful for those days. There was a sort of tension lingering between the two men – Sanji didn't seem to be comfortable with Zoro, and Zoro seemed to be pulling away on his own. Which was fine with him, but it made Law _feel_ things – things he wasn't even sure of.

Rising up from his chair, Law ventured into the bedroom. The first thing that caught his eye was the packed bag on the floor – it was a heavy rucksack with some extra material sewn in on the sides, and Law approached it, crouching to unzip it. He found rolled pieces of clothing in there, along with outdoor items such as pieces of plastic, tarp, matches and a bag of weed. It was a considerable bag of weed that made Law's eyebrows lift with judgement, the smell making him cringe. Back in their time, this amount would guarantee a hefty prison sentence. There were tools in there as well; knives, forks, a sharpener. A blanket at the bottom had a heavy weight to it, so there were items carefully packed inside.

Apparently, Sanji had other plans. Directly behind it was a folded map – he opened it to see the tracing of a marker that led from this colony to a point northwest, a giant 'x' marking a location. The map was uncompleted – while the colony was thoughtfully drawn out and measured, all that laid between the colony and the final destination was 'Wastelands'. It was all in Robin's handwriting. Below the folded map was one of Law's cloaks, neatly folded with a pair of worn gloves, thick socks, and a flask. He tested the flask's weight and opened it, wincing at the heavy stench of alcohol inside. He closed that and set it aside, rising from the floor to venture out from the room, pulling the door shut behind him.

He figured he'd wait for Sanji to come back to ask him about these things.

Hours passed by when Zoro returned, giving him a puzzled look. Law saw his nostrils move as Kid and Luffy crammed themselves into the house after him.

"Where's Sanji?" Zoro then asked Law, Luffy immediately heading for the kitchen.

"I haven't seen him. I thought he would be out with you?"

"I haven't been able to find Ussop, either," Zoro mumbled, removing a pack from his shoulders. A long sword rested atop of that pack, Law admiring it for a bit before he realized Zoro was holding it out to him with a puzzled look. "The swordsmith said you were expecting this. It's a relic; all he did was sharpen it and clean it up."

Law took the sword from him with an expression of awe. It was long, the scabbard painted carefully with crosses, the animal fur clean and bright against the handguard. Kid scoffed at it.

"What's he need that for?" he complained. "It's like giving a suicidal jerk a gun."

"It just seemed really cool to have a sword," Law answered vaguely, unsheathing it carefully. Zoro agreed with a twitch of his nose and a limp shrug. The metal gleamed, catching the light of the afternoon sun as it streamed in through a nearby window. The red ties dangled heavily as Zoro gave him an uncertain look.

"Do you even know how to use one?" he asked skeptically.

"No."

"What a _poser_!" Kid exclaimed, crossing his arms. He'd settled on the maroon outfit, Law noticed. A double-breasted vest over a sleeveless shirt that had brown animal fur lining the shoulders – pants that seemed to fit him like a second skin. He kept pulling at the crotch area, wiggling in the material to somehow stretch it out.

"It'll come in handy," Law argued. "I'd learned a few moves that required use of an item – it'd be pleasing to the eye if it were a sword instead of a random object."

Kid rolled his eyes. "Since when did you care about _appearances_?"

"So, Sanji hasn't been here for some time?" Zoro asked, wandering towards the room he shared with him.

"There's absolutely _no_ food!" Luffy exclaimed, his face paling as he examined the ice box, then the shelves. As he opened them, they were all stunned to see the items that Iceburg had given them were either missing or nearly gone. He looked into the oven and at the dishrack. " _There's no food_!"

"Oh my god, _this_ is how it ends," Kid breathed, eyes wide with horror. "We're all going to die!"

Zoro emerged from the room while carrying the pack, holding the map in one hand.

"He's gone," he said simply, a little surprised.

"How can he be ' _gone'_?" Law snapped, sheathing the sword. "He said nothing to us!"

"He doesn't have to."

"So we're going to die?" Kid asked. "Because I'm fucking starving – why would he leave, he said he was going to stay _here_! This is bullshit!"

Luffy had his hands to his face, breathing heavily. He looked at Zoro. "Well, where'd he go?"

"Miles from here," Zoro said with a sigh, laying the opened map down on the counter. He pointed out the destination. "Either we meet him here, or die."

" _Why_ would he leave?" Law demanded, looking at the map again. "Why would he go there?"

"Because ya'll follow him," Zoro said patiently.

"I ain't going there! Why would I go there?" Kid exclaimed. "I didn't say I wanted to go just yet! I'm going on my own goddamn terms, not someone else's! I mean, _eventually_ I wanted to go out there but when _I'm_ good and ready – he's a fucked up guy!"

"He wants to avoid colony conflict," Law said slowly, tapping on the map. "By essentially leaving us behind, he expects us to follow after him because he is our only food source."

"Then we're going," Luffy said with a determined expression. "We got a map, let's go."

Law's lips tightened. "He wants us to follow him to avoid the colonists' engagement with us. Thereby saving lives and preventing us from killing the pigs around us needlessly. That's a lot of trust and faith for an animal to have."

Zoro crossed his arms, looking at him with a frown as Kid understood immediately.

"Without him here to stop us, who's to stop us from putting them down, anyway? If we don't leave at the time he expects us, the colonists will still freak out on us, forcing our hands. I don't know about you, but I'm sure I can find food here somewhere without him. Pig slop is still food," Kid grumbled.

"Without him here to stop us, his efforts are unnecessary. I'll still leave, but on my own conditions," Law said, turning away to examine his sword. " _After_ I rid this colony to prevent future inbreeding to further ignorant thoughts."

"What he said," Kid said, gesturing at him. "Then we got a plan?"

"Nighttime is when everyone is in bed, safely tucked away. If they want to continue thinking that we're villains, then maybe we should be these villains."

"Sanji trusted you to make a right decision," Zoro spoke up evenly, looking at him. "He trusted you'd use the good he thought was in you to go against the image. Are you proving him wrong?"

Law turned to look at him. "How long have you been living here? Since you were a child, right? In that amount of time, how many acts of kindness do you remember that was directed to you by this colony?"

Zoro's lips tightened.

"If you don't remember, or haven't experienced it for yourself, then what is the point of attributing your own brand of kindness onto others that won't even share their own onto you?"

"It's the point of the matter."

"I don't care about this stuff, I'm going to go pack so we can go," Luffy said, hurrying off.

Kid stood there, wearing a tight frown as he glanced from Law to Zoro.

"There is no point wasting what kindness you have on people that won't even appreciate or acknowledge it. These people think less of you, and don't care for you. But yet they've already made their judgement on us, therefore, it makes sense to be what they want us to be."

"All of this happened cuz of Sanji," Zoro said. "If it mattered to you any, you'd respect his wishes to leave the colony alone – not take revenge on his behalf."

Law turned to look back at him, giving him a guarded frown. "I'm not doing this for Sanji. I'm doing it for myself."

"Does your hate of other people truly extend that far?"

"I was raised upon no mercy, nor to extend any mercy onto others. I lack the empathy needed to feel for another person and their wishes, I only see the injustice in front of me and want to wreck it for the satisfaction of it."

"You feel _somethin'_ ," Zoro said firmly, turning to head back to the room. "The moment Sanji is wronged, you are there at the forefront to exact pay back. So lie to yourself all you want, doc, but you will regret it when Sanji hears what you did when we catch up."

Law glowered after him while Kid watched him for a response, amused at the confrontation.

"If that's the case, then as his friend, why is it that you've switched sides?" he asked, Zoro pausing in mid-step to the door. "You shared his views once – now you're telling him that his views aren't worthy, that _his_ way of thinking isn't worthy. He didn't trust you to include you into his plans, he trusted Ussop. Have you been shelved because of this?"

"I know you don't get it," Zoro said, turning to look back at him. "You wouldn't get what 'loyalty' means when it comes to another person. I respect his views – which is why I'm leaving now."

" _Wha_ -? NO!" Kid exclaimed, whirling around while the expression of amusement left him.

"It's too bad he didn't trust me, but this ain't a place to live in comfortably, anymore," Zoro continued over this. "It's time to find a new place – he ain't coming back. While out there, I do hope we find something better. Just cuz we see things differently don't make us any less than friends."

" _I don't want to go_!" Kid exclaimed sharply.

"Then stay, cuz I ain't waiting," Zoro told him, drifting into his room while Law scowled in that direction. He looked at Kid as Kid stomped over to the doorway to argue. He muttered a few things but his words went unheard as Kid's voice overwhelmed his.

"We're not even prepared for that sort of journey," Kid said as Zoro began gathering useful items, stuffing them into packs he'd set atop of his bed. "How far away is this place?"

"I dunno, it looks about five inches on the map," Zoro said with a shrug.

Kid realized he would have to look at the map himself. He was already familiar with the way Zoro's directions ranged, sometimes failing to arrive at a destination he should've already been accustomed with but getting sidetracked in the process. It had been Sanji and Ussop leading the way in all the times they'd traveled together – Kid started to realize how terrifying this was going to be.

"We're unprepared, man," he said dully. "Like I was _ready_ but just thinking about it now, it's crazy to think we'd make it."

"All those words you were throwing around earlier don't mean nothing now?" Zoro turned to look at him suspiciously. "You shoot off early, don't you?"

It sounded like a double meaning to Kid, who reddened from his neck to his hairline. " _I DON'T_!"

Unsure of the double entendre he'd made considering Kid's reaction, Zoro just looked at him with a skeptical frown before returning to his task. Fiddling with his fingernails, Kid then asked, "Can't we just use a vehicle to get around?"

Zoro looked back at him blankly. "A vehicle?"

"A car or something? A truck? A _tank_?"

"You mean farming equipment?"

"They use water trucks to keep the fire away from the walls, why not just take one of those?"

"Ain't it use gas? Where we gonna find that out there?" Zoro asked him impatiently.

Frazzled, Kid's hands swept to his face. Then he held a hand out. "Give me two hours! Don't leave!"

"I don't wanna wait, it gets cold at night!" Zoro complained after him as Kid raced out.

He shoved past Law, who was staring at the kitchen with consideration. "I'm going to get us a fucking car. Don't let him leave without me."

"That's your want, not mine."

" _You're_ going to be using it, too!" Kid hissed at him from the front door. He made to leave before he popped back in. "Don't you want to see your precious cook sooner?"

"Do you and Perona huddle around a lamp talking about these things?" Law asked, crossing his arms stiffly. "Because that's a childish thing I can see you doing."

"First off," Kid said, a finger up as he walked back into the house, "she was right about you, don't fucking deny it. You jump every time that fox yelps; you watch him like a _pervert_ – "

Law lifted his hand to form a Room when Kid quickly picked up the kitchen table by use of its heavy metal hinges to push against him, knocking him off balance and tripping him to the floor.

"Besides, if he goes into heat, where do you think he's going to find it from? Not from you," Kid then added a deliberate wink at Law, satisfied to see a cross expression reddening over his face. "TWO HOURS!"

Law pushed the table off him, Zoro peeking out from the door to see what all the noise was about. Huffing, Law swept himself off, retrieved his sword and stood. He gave Zoro a glare. "Two fucking hours should be enough to allow us time to retrieve shit to go. _Don't_ leave."

After the door slammed shut behind him, Zoro stood there in the silence, considering what was happening. While it did hurt some to know that Sanji didn't trust him with his plan, he supposed it was fitting. The fox was probably upset to find things out the way he did. He understood that things were changing, but he was pretty sure Sanji was positive that this forced trip outside of the colony was going to be the real challenge.

These bunker-raised 'children' had a taste of the outside earlier; walking into it now was going to be the real test of strength.

Two hours later, Iceburg watched as the solar-powered, canvas topped Chevy with tread tires that was used in the fields crawled forward. It was a unique vehicle that was equipped to withstand the terrain, occasionally used outdoors for guards to patrol outside the perimeters so it was also built to withstand bullets, flame throwers and large animal attacks. But it was also a persnickety vehicle that required constant repairs, especially if the treads were damaged or ran off their tracks. He wondered if Kid was aware of that.

It was packed with all troublesome occupants, along with some wooden crates that he assumed were supplies. Robin joined him, smiling slightly as the guards waited for the vehicle to pass through the gates with a rumble of its engine and treads. Nearly all of them were hopeful, holding their relief in with stiff shoulders and wary hands.

"Did the proposal go as planned?" Robin asked Iceburg curiously.

"It did," he murmured. "I'm shocked that it did."

"The colonists are safe?"

"I won't allow their release until our guys come back with tonight's report," Iceburg said uneasily. Sanji had asked him to 'hide them' until the coast was clear. It wasn't easy rounding up all the vulnerable people under the early hours of night to a safe place in the fields; he'd designated a grain storage unit that was built with large walls and high ceilings to keep the families safe. He only allowed those comfortable with arms and battle to venture around the colony under the guise of civilians.

"Good plan," Robin said. "Surprising that it had come from the source that it did. He knew exactly what they were going to do and planned accordingly."

"Weren't you aware of it?"

"To a degree. I provided them with a suitable location and some helpful supplies."

Iceburg looked at her.

"If they can succeed out there, it'll be safer for the colony," she said. She turned away, signaling for her horse. He was surprised to see that it was accompanied with another horse, both packed with an abnormal amount of supplies. Now that he looked at her, she was wearing a thick brown dress with an animal fur cape, her long hair tied back into a tight bun at her crown. She was dressed for travel.

"Are you leaving, too?" he asked on a surprised lift of his voice.

"It's time for me to move on as well," she said, taking the reins. "I thought it would be nice to explore the world."

"But what about your valuables, your archives?"

"They will be safe," she said as she climbed atop of the horse. "One day I'll return for them."

" _Are you sure_?" he asked with a startled expression as she gently nudged the horse's sides to get him moving.

"I'm positive! Good luck!" she called over her shoulder, the guards holding the gates open long enough to allow her to pass, giving Iceburg troubled expressions as she followed after the dust trail left behind by the truck.

Iceburg watched her leave, bewildered at the sudden excursion. But the gates closed tightly, locked as unsettled faces glanced his way. He shrugged, unsure of what to say.

As they drove towards the north, Kid clumsily at the pedals, Perona leaned over the bench seat with a snicker. Law was sitting passenger side, Luffy between the men, excitedly unwrapping several sandwiches Robin had provided him with. Zoro was sitting in the back bench seat with Perona, watching the scenery pass by with a troubled expression.

"I left a surprise behind," she whispered to the three, wearing a gleeful expression.

Kid asked cautiously, "Don't you have a distance limit?"

"I do. But for some reason, there were a ton of people having some kinda gathering in the big grain house," Perona said with a bewildered expression. "It must've been a farmer's meeting, or something. There were kids running around on the staircase, so I'm _assuming_ it was a community thing. They usually don't have kids around there."

"Nothing that concerns us," Kid muttered with a shrug. "So, _what_ , you just turned them loose?"

"I locked one of them inside," Perona snickered. "It's going to be so _funny_ when the doors open, and all these baby zombies come launching out at people!"

"But I thought you controlled them from beginning to end," Kid said with confusion.

"I _do_ , stupid, but they're _still_ zombies. They _still_ have to be restrained, _god_ , it only takes one bite from one of my ghosts to turn!" she said impatiently. "You never pay attention to me!"

"I'm just _asking_ \- !"

"You're the worst of us," Law commented, vaguely upset that he hadn't thought of that. But he imagined that the colony would be in ruins once they were released – Perona had the ability to turn, control and activate them – even if she weren't present, they were still infected, capable of their own uncontrolled actions. He thought it was a fitting present for Iceburg to wake up to – at least _he_ didn't do it.

"I only did it because they were so shitty towards me. If they were _nicer_ , I wouldn't have done it," Perona said with a huff.

"What are you guys talking about?" Zoro asked, confused by the topic.

" _Nothing_ ," the four of them answered in unison, which only caused him more suspicion.


	20. Chapter 20

**Naghi-Tan: They toe a line somewhere XD**

 **HS: Thank you! :D**

 **Penumbra: She's a sneaky one! If one of them isn't being sneaky, another one is. Robin knew that things were happening; it was safer to leave, plus she was in agreement with the others, but she still gives off a suspicious vibe. D: Sanji is – but how long will it last? D: Those two are the biggest brats of this fic – as much as they have conflict with each other, they still gravitate towards each other for some reason. And though they won't admit it outloud, they'll pretty much follow those two into the fires of hell, confident that it was their own idea XD Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, too! May your artist hand be strong and mighty!**

 **: : Twenty**

Two days into the wastelands gave Kid enough time to decide he hated it. The world outside of the colony gave every bit of weight to the label – it was silent and still, with only a glancing action from animals that had claimed it for their territory. From the safety of the truck, they were taking in the sights of animals that were bigger than the ones they were used to seeing in movies and magazines. Rabbits bared their teeth at them, wolves charged and threatened the vehicle until they grew tired of the game – birds of prey alighted down onto the rooftop and scratched at the metal with consideration, leaving behind scars. Snakes coiled over the roadway, longer than any anaconda that they'd ever seen in movies – lizards crumbled rocks as they sunned themselves, scampering over the emptiness like small dragons. The bug splatters on the windshield caused a distressing crack of sound with each impact, metallic thumps on the hood and grill causing certainty that someone was either throwing rocks at them or they were being shot at – but with only the remains of splattered insects left behind, it was no wonder that the wipers were created out of sturdy, seemingly metal material.

Eventually, the novelty of their forms faded away.

Through old towns and roadways were still apparent long after the bombing, they were nothing but ghosts. The wildfire had already torn through the area, causing ash and dust to blow with the hot desert wind, creating gigantic dust clouds that colored the sky.

The silence was the thing that unnerved Kid the most – he was used to _noise_ ; that of the bunker, of the colony; the lack of human voices and presence gave him a terrible feeling every time he left the truck to take a leak or to follow after Zoro as he attempted to track the pair ahead of them. He'd found their campsite and a flag Ussop had left behind that pointed them in the correct direction, so they expected to roll up on them very soon.

There were tire tracks in the ash that told them they weren't alone – in the distance, a different sort of cloud mushroomed up towards the smoke-heavy skies. Zoro wasn't sure what it was caused by, but Kid was sure this was a sign of a productive colony like the last.

Nighttime was extremely uncomfortable – though the stars sparkled brilliantly and the Milky Way cast a neon color light over the black, it was terribly upsetting how every little sound was magnified by the stillness. Kid swore Law was suffering through some terrible unease – he wasn't saying anything, but Kid was positive the man wasn't getting any sleep. He looked like a mental case that might snap at any moment; it amused and scared Kid because any mental imbalance of them as individuals had been a terrifying obstacle course to negotiate. All of them had been drawn to such points before – a conditioning of their mental strength, breaking them all the way down and rebuilding them after a breakdown.

He was pretty sure the other guy was freaking out because they weren't finding the pair anytime soon, and the moon was in its full state. He thought it was pretty pathetic.

Towards the middle of the afternoon, one of the treads had come undone. Everyone left the vehicle to stretch limbs with relief, save for Law who slept heavily in the backseat, cradling his sword like a kid holding onto a treasured toy. Kid wanted to kick him, but as he looked over the repairs that he'd need to make to the vehicle, his mind grew occupied by the task.

"I can fix it," he said with confidence, Luffy struggling to remove the heavy toolbox from the back. An eagle had gnawed at the handles, scraped at the top in an attempt to open it, so the metal curls left behind were dangerous.

Zoro frowned at the sight of the tread, unsure of what he was looking at. He was wearing a sleeveless trench-jacket fashioned out of heat-resistant material, the hood rimmed with wolf's fur. He was also shirtless, so he had a display of scars and muscles visible that did things to Kid's stomach. The haramaki was pulled over some desert camo-pants, and the hood used to hide the green of his hair. It was so embarrassing how Kid caught himself staring at the other man, unsure of how to explain _why_ he was. Twice he caught Perona and Law looking at him with disgusted expressions, which only flustered him; their added obscene gestures earned double slaps to the head. It now made sense to Kid why Law was always watching Sanji, but he couldn't bring that up; he felt if he did so, he'd fall into some verbal and mental trap of some humiliating sort with Law, and get exposed to Zoro.

Kid was thankful Zoro was either dim or too polite to notice anything.

"This might prove too much trouble in the end," Zoro said with a heavy sigh. "Taking this land with feet is only the easier choice."

"Fuck that. I don't want to get eaten by _rabbits_!" Kid exclaimed, impatiently pulling the toolbox towards him. He opened it, rummaging for a proper tool as Luffy panted, flopping down into the soft dirt to stare up at the sky.

"We're going to _die_ out here," he mumbled.

"I can hunt," Zoro assured him. "If I leave right now, I can bring some meat back. But I don't know how to cook it."

"Just toss it onto a fire, right?" Perona asked, wiping sweat from her forehead. She had her umbrella overhead, but the heat was getting to her. She was wearing only a chemise, so boldly lacking in modesty that Zoro worried about her giving the wrong impression to others. But the three men didn't look at her any differently than they did each other; he did wonder if she was even taught to be modest as a woman. "That's what Sanji did the first time."

"I think there's a process," Zoro said thoughtfully.

"And you guys survived this madness as _kids_?" Kid asked with bewilderment, looking around him. Nothing moved – the road they were on had once been part of a highway, but it was broken and shattered into chunks that had separated with the wind's encouragement. There were houses in the distance – at least he assumed they were. The remaining framework had fallen prey to the fire, so it was a collection of blackened dirt and debris. There had been trees here, once – but they stood as blackened charcoal, still smoking in some areas. The entire world smelled like smoke, and he coughed.

"He was an animal – he gathered roots and insects to share while I hunted," Zoro said, tugging on his hood. He also had a pair of goggles around his neck, well-worn and tethered with some kind of animal leather. A gas mask dangled from his hip, and Kid couldn't figure out why he'd need it.

" _Bugs_?" Luffy repeated.

"Don't bring us any of that," Perona complained, sitting on the lowered bed door. "I'm _not_ eating bugs."

"Mostly beetles and grubs. They're actually okay cooked. I don't know how he does it, though. You guys probably won't want them raw," Zoro then added, looking at them to judge their desperation.

" _No_ ," the trio chimed in. He figured their minds would change once they realized just how hard it was to obtain any sort of animal meat.

Luffy stood up as Kid lifted the back end of the truck, patiently removing the tread. Perona fell off with a grunt as Zoro considered their surroundings. He perked as the loud metal vehicle complained noisily as Kid lowered it back to the road. Stalking off, Luffy hurried after Zoro with excited questions while Perona stood, brushing herself off.

"I can't do this," she complained, sitting next to Kid as he looked the tread over. He found some loose shingles of metal in the toolbox, and began to shape them with a rotating movement of his hand, forcing out inches while resetting others into the form he needed. "There is _nothing_ out here."

"We'll come across something," he muttered, grimacing with concentration on the task. "It's just like playing with Legos! I can do this shit. Once I hit a place, I'm going to get more supplies to soup this baby up. It could use a new engine – the pedals feel gummy, so that's going to need a refill of fluids…I'd have to ask what, though. Never had a car before, but parts are parts."

Perona rolled her eyes to the sky because this talk didn't interest her. She was used to having someone else do these things – it was great that Kid knew what he was doing, but he had always been that way. More interested in taking things apart to see how they worked than actually involved with the thing itself. The Marines had given him a few things here and there to fix himself, but the item never came back as what it originally had been. Eventually, they stopped giving him things as his devices started exploding or purposefully disrupting their quiet order.

It was nearly an hour later when Kid completed the task. He finally noticed that Zoro or Luffy weren't around, scanning the area for any sight of them. He hoped they weren't lost – he cupped his mouth and bellowed their names. While the fire had consumed everything in its path, there was still too many obstacles that allowed a clearer view of the land. He wiped his face, smearing ash and oil over his skin.

"We're going to die here," Perona said with a nod, hanging out from the driver's side window. Law's snores were audible from behind her. " _Starving_ , lost – picked off one by one by things with fur and teeth. We should've never left the colony."

"That's what I'm saying!" Kid agreed with frustration. "But…it wasn't fun living there, either. It just wasn't, there was no…motivation. All we did was eat and complain, did domestic shit. I thought the wastelands was going to be more of a Mad Max adventure, with conflict happening at every angle! It'd be easier fighting people than… _this_ …"

Perona shielded her eyes, looking over the area. "Maybe those guys died out there…we'll have to eat each other to survive."

"I hope you choke on me," Kid warned her.

"Maybe if I turned into a zombie myself I'll live forever."

"You'll be _dead_!"

"Zombie Queen Perona," she murmured thoughtfully. "Or Queen Undead. _Queen_ Perona of the Undead. Hey, if I turned one of you guys, would you still have your powers?"

"Let's not test that, right now."

"I'm so _hungry_ ," she moaned.

"What happened to all the food we'd packed?"

" _LUFFY_!"

Kid sighed impatiently. "I knew it."

Perona shot out to point beyond him, looking shocked. "NO! _Luffy_!"

Kid turned to see their companion running back, a pack of wolves racing after him. He was dragging a carcass behind him, looking panicked. Kid and Perona launched themselves back into the truck, Kid frantically rolling the window up. Luffy dropped his hold on the carcass before he launched himself forward, stretching for the window. He managed to squeeze himself through the opened slot, landing atop of Kid as the wolves descended onto the carcass with snarls, tearing into the unidentified animal with teeth and claw. Law woke up to the trio clambering over each other, shouting and pushing each other to get some room. Luffy fell over the seat onto him elbow to balls, and Law had to curl up with a damaged squeak as Kid finally managed to close the window. Luffy popped up with some heavy panting, plastering himself to the back window with dismay.

" _My_ deer!" he cried, face flattening against the bullet proof glass.

"What the hell is happening?" Kid demanded, watching as a wolf trotted over to smell at the vehicle. "Where is Zoro?"

"I don't know," Luffy panted as Law managed to straighten up, kicking him with both feet in response. " _OW_!"

"You're not going to need them anyway," Perona told Law haughtily, straightening up as Kid shifted over to the driver's side. "How'd you get that thing? It looks like a cow, not a deer!"

"I found it – it was all burnt up, so I thought it was cooked and I grabbed it to go eat, then all these guys popped up from out of nowhere, and they're _not_ dogs," Luffy exclaimed, hand over his heart. "There were so many and they wanted my food! I tried to hide in a tree, but there was this huge bird up there that started squawking at me, _eating_ my _food_ , so I left the tree, started running, and _those_ guys kept biting at me, so I ran faster and _somehow_ lost Zoro."

" _Great_ ," Kid mumbled, forehead against the glass while the wolf stood up on its hind legs to look in, snarling. "Go away!"

"Look at their fangs!" Luffy exclaimed, showing off his wounds. He had teeth imprints all over his arms, legs and neck – none of them had penetrated, leaving behind horrid bruising.

Law rubbed his face, yawning as he glared around himself. "Why are we stopped?"

"The tread ran off the tracks. It's fixed, now," Kid explained.

"Then let's keep going."

"Not without Zoro!"

"He'll find his way back, we're leaving enough tracks."

"You're not the boss!" Kid glared out at the wolves that had decimated the carcass, licking themselves with pleased expressions. They then trotted over to investigate the vehicle for themselves. "I left my tools out there. I have to get them."

"Then get them, let's go."

Kid watched the massive animals investigate the truck – their teeth pulled at the heavy metal grill, chomped at the treads. They were in the back bed, sniffing around their crates of supplies. One of them ventured out onto the roof, peering down at them through the windshield. Then, almost in one motion their heads whipped around to look to their right.

In the far distance they heard the frantic cry of an animal, a startled shriek in the stillness. The wolves all shot away from the vehicle, separating into pairs to take on different directions. The dust and ash lifting from the ground was the only indication of their movement.

Kid hastily opened the door, gathered up his tools and the case. He pushed it all back into the truck and shut the bed with a gusty sound. He then looked around them, scanning the area for Zoro. He was reluctant to leave, knowing just how bad with directions he was.

"Luffy, where'd you last see him?" Kid asked impatiently.

"That way," Luffy said, stretching himself out from the truck to point. Then he pointed in the other direction. "Or…that way, by those rocks."

"Luffy, _what_ rocks?" Kid asked, seeing nothing of the sort.

"Those white ones! Over there!"

Where Luffy was pointing looked like a building – but the way they hugged the hillside, it could have been a cliff. Kid shut the door on him, Luffy crying out with horror as his upper half was caught in the frame. "God, you're so fucking _annoying_. Those aren't rocks, that's a cliff. I'm going to go find him."

"You're going to die out there," Perona said, lowering the window to lean out amidst Luffy's struggles.

"I'm not! I'm a bad ass bro with powers, I think I can handle a few fucking dogs!"

"With what metal?" Law asked curiously, pushing against Perona to look out, the woman protesting with pushes against his shoulder. "You're walking off with no weaponry, you think you'll find it out there?"

Giving him a dirty look, Kid opened the toolbox. He retrieved most of them, forming a gigantic arm over his left. The contraption jingled noisily as he examined the project with a thoughtful expression. "This'll do."

"You're missing something else," Law said, resting his chin atop of his forearm as Perona leaned over him.

"What, _supplies_? It's not going to take that long! We're not going to be out here all night!"

"A brain."

Kid used the metal of his new arm to extend a wrench as a middle finger towards him, and began walking. The trio watched him venture out into the burned ashes of the woods, his head moving from side to side as he looked around himself cautiously. It wasn't until he'd disappeared behind a ridge when Perona muttered, "I don't want to stay out here all night."

"I'm still _hungry_ ," Luffy moaned. "Why can't we just use this thing to go run something over?"

"I know how to drive," Law said, elbowing her away as he resettled into the driver's seat. He started up the vehicle, taking the motions Kid had as Perona settled in the passenger side seat and Luffy flopped backwards over the back bench seat. The vehicle made a jerky start forward as Law negotiated the pedals, but with some confidence, he maneuvered it forward. The truck slowly pulled away, leaving a stream of dust and ash trailing after them.

Meanwhile Kid took his steps cautiously, ash rising with every step he made. He realized he was leaving footprints behind him, and he was confident he could use that to make his way back to the truck. The blackened trees around him seemed to sizzle slightly, smoke drifting upward to catch the breeze, and ash carried through the air, leaving his clothes faintly discolored. He saw the tracks Luffy had made running from the wolves, and began wandering in that direction. He hoped Zoro didn't wander off too far, and wondered if they were even together when the whole situation started. Apprehensively, Kid kept an eye out for snakes and lizards; but he noticed whole skeleton shells lingering on the ground. Animals with large hooves, antlers, a cat that stretched out as large as his own body.

There wasn't any sign of human presence anywhere – as he emerged from the former woods, he was surprised to step out onto pavement. He looked down at his feet then around himself – it had been a highway. There were sign foundations lingering in lumps along the road, and he wondered where all the car frames were. Hand over his eyes, he looked out into the distance – the treeline had stopped here. He could see former lumps of a town towards his left, but those were only fallen mounds of concrete and age. Signs still hung where they had been inserted, but had long ago lost their faces.

He wandered in that direction, listening for any unusual sounds. He didn't see any footprints in this ash, so he returned his attention behind him. Something small caught his eye to the right, and he turned to see some movement in the distance. Something that caused a slight dust cloud to form behind its moving shape. It was too far away for him to identify, but he began moving in that direction just in case.

The silence of this world was unnerving – there were birds chirping but he could not see them. The breeze rattled dead branches, occasionally causing something to fall, but the lack of voices and movement was definitely a jarring difference from the amount of noises he was used to. He tried to shrug it away – this was their life, now. They weren't released into a city or an environment that they'd dreamed of, but had been rudely awakened to take on this one.

He could almost understand why Law was so angry about these things. But he didn't want to be similar to him, either. It was pointless looking back and letting those things define a person – they were out of that prison, now, moving onto something bigger.

As he was passing by the cliff wall – upon closer inspection discovered that they were remnants of an apartment complex – he caught sight of something moving ahead, almost buried underneath some rubble that looked as if it had all been gathered into a wall-like mound. He ventured towards it cautiously, arm out as he started to see that this place was well-used. There were tire tracks leading in and out of the place, and the smell of cooking smoke. It made his stomach rumble noisily.

Settling himself for the possibility of running into wasteland deviants, Kid felt his lips twitching in anticipation. He expected Mad Max extras, animal-fur wearing mountain men – women in skimpy battle armor. Though, he had to admit, seeing Zoro in his fur had more of an impact on him than a scantily clad woman with a spear.

He rounded the corner, seeing that it was a near football sized area that had been inserted into the ground, allowing entrance in and out through a set of wide, metal doors. There were human skulls atop of spears leading up to the entrance – which brought him a feeling of awe. There was a currently rotting body of a man speared into one of the doors, and his bloated and sunburned flesh held evidence of gunshot wounds and road rash – despite himself his stomach turned noisily, and bile rose to his throat.

 _Knock it off_! he told himself fiercely. _I am a_ man!

"Eh, what's that on ya?" a voice called to him from above, showing him three men with guns pointed right at him from a balcony overhead. All of them were wearing clothing similar to Zoro's, but the fur had splotches of dark red color. They had a Jolly Roger there, flapping from rags or capes, and armor formed out of leather and steel. One of them had a wolf's head over his hood, his face dripping with sweat. All of them looked weather beaten and sunburnt while they looked at him with cold calculation.

"I'm looking for my buddy," Kid answered. "Gots green hair and wolf stuff on him. Three swords."

"Ain't anybody like that around here," the man answered, spitting down at him. He gave Kid's outfit a disgusted look. "You look too clean to be wandering places like these. Where you from?"

"Doesn't matter. You seen him, or what?"

"Just told you. Are you _slow_?"

"You got food in there?" Kid then asked, examining the metal doors.

"Ain't none for you."

"You look like a flamingo in those clothes," another commented with a sneer, examining his maroon outfit. "What's he look like? One of them okamas?"

They laughed, and Kid's face tightened as they continued to amuse themselves with comments on his appearance. With a dark frown he jerked outward on the doors, metal bending and screeching noisily as the heavy pieces bent over the hinges. With a light gesture they were tossed behind them, settling onto the ground with a thunder of sound. The trio reacted with a horrified start, shooting at him. He focused on the entrance way as he stopped the bullets with a casual brush off, striding through the metal-grated pathway. Another world opened up to him, showing him compartments of living spaces, garages, and more men and women dressed as similar as those on guard. There were metal walkways everywhere – grating that allowed one to walk up various floors and extended from one wall to the other. There was an oil smell there, something thick and uncomfortably dangerous for such an isolated area. The windows had steel bars outside of them, allowing the sunlight in but protecting them from outside dangers.

As those closest to him reacted with surprise, Kid pulled scraps of metal from the walls and forced them to levitate over him, shielding him from any assaults from behind or attacks from above. Bullets rattled over these sheets as he saw that the entire area was formed out of old, rustic metal. Everything was welded together to create a near wonderland of a garage-like appearance. On the very bottom was a sloping runaway that had nearly a dozen vehicles similar to the Mad Max-theme he had been seeking. Brilliantly accessorized with dangerous spikes, chrome pieces and modifications that would take them easily through the uneven terrain. With a grunt he ripped one wall off to his left down, exposing the inside to the outside ashy air. As it collapsed, bringing down compartments of furniture, individuals and more metal pathways, he saw people scrambling to arm themselves from below. He pushed the mess to fall away from him as he took to the main walkway.

His nostrils filled with the satisfying scent of food, and he pushed up parts of the floor to shield him from the left as he ventured to the right. The kitchen was as wide as that of the bunker, and food had been hastily abandoned by those eating at long tables. He reached out and snagged up what looked like a turkey leg, taking an enormous bite as bullets littered the metal shield he had up. His eyes watered with appreciation, savoring the meat. Looking for something to put his food in, he saw food baskets piled at the end of one counter, cleaned and ready to receive meals. He scraped plates of available meat into one, salivating with each new piece. He'd save it for later; Luffy wouldn't have any part of it.

He turned and used a part of his shield to sweep aside several men that had burst into the kitchen, crushing them underneath the weight of the piece. He retrieved it, taking another bite of his turkey leg then caught sight of an interesting object just out from the kitchen. There were cages hanging from the ceiling, holding skeletons and dead animals. One of them contained Ussop, who was looking at him with relief.

"How'd this happen?" Kid asked, walking up to him. He jerked up his free hand to pull apart the floor, lifting it high enough to shield him from the barrage of bullets coming from shouting men. "I thought you guys were outside?"

" _We were_!" Ussop cried, covering his head as the sharp sounds of ricochets zipped through the dirty air. "We were separated! He wandered off while I was sleeping, then _these_ guys - !"

He curled up into a ball to escape being hit while Kid considered his story. He looked down at the food basket he'd packed and realized he'd need help holding it. He pulled the cage down, removing the bars so Ussop could spill out. Once the man gathered himself together, Kid dropped the basket onto his lap, licking his fingers.

"Holy Christ," he murmured, shouts and gunfire exploding around them. "This is _so_ good. Better than anything that asshole ever cooked for us."

Ussop shouted out with fear, cradling the food basket against him as armored men moved in close. Kid pushed out the pieces of metal from around him, its immense weight knocking them off their feet and sending them flying. He snagged every weapon he could see from those fleeing throughout the pathways, building up a tower of weaponry off to the side. Most of them were looking upon him with fear, clearly unable to understand how he was able to perform these feats. Others were fleeing, using vehicles to tear out of whatever space they could find to escape. He jerked down the heavy, wide doors that allowed vehicle access, causing a pile up. From there, he wrenched both hands off to the side, ripping vehicle after vehicle up into the air to pile over one another. It was so easy – different from the scenarios he'd been trained to survive. It made him feel good to have so much incredible power that others _had_ to fear.

Ussop cowered on the ground while Kid ventured then out onto what was left of the walkway, examining the setup of the living spaces.

A man hiding in one of them popped out with a gun, but Kid caught the bullet in midair before returning it back for a headshot that splattered noisily within the compartment. Those that had thought to attack with makeshift weapons thought better of it, and hastily turned to flee. He used a slim piece of metal sheeting to send flying after them, cutting through their bodies, momentum allowing the piece to embed into the wall ahead of them. As bodies flopped uselessly along the walkway, a quick scan of the place showed him no other enemy. He was visibly disappointed at how easy this had been. But the mess he'd made all the while was spectacular. He wished he could show it off, brag about to the others. It was disappointing to enjoy it all by himself.

He tossed the meat bone away, wiping his mouth.

"You seen Zoro?" he then asked Ussop. "He wandered off."

"No, I've been here most of the night," Ussop answered, shakily rising to his feet. He looked around himself with an astonished expression. Without hesitation, he bent and picked up one of the hunting rifles that Kid had piled up nearby, checking the chambers. Then he relieved several others of similar design for their bullets, Kid watching with dissatisfaction. "Where's the others?"

"Waiting for me to come back," Kid said with confidence. "We scammed a truck off Iceburg's hands and made it out here. Then the guy said he wanted to go hunting – "

"You're not supposed to let him do that," Ussop said with a suffering expression. "It's so easy for him to get lost!"

"He went with Luffy, but Luffy's the only one that came back!"

"Well, maybe Sanji found him," Ussop said with a lack of confidence. "But with the full moon, he's not right in a state of mind."

Kid rolled his eyes, something catching his eye as he did so. He jerked down the floor level of a compartment, metal screeching noisily as it bent to his will. He pulled a dark cape from the hanger, examining it and admiring the metal details as the entire compartment swept to the floors below, littering the other walkways with miscellaneous living items.

"This is cool," he murmured, pulling it on. "Mine, now! Let's go – I got some food to eat along the way."

Ussop gaped at the damage around him – while he'd known that Kid had certain metal abilities attributed to magnetic force, it was plain to see why he had been considered dangerous. Just one person had collapsed an entire living area of marauders – armed and battle worn men and women conditioned to slaughtering others that were without safety of a colony. He'd made it so easy, too – not even wearing an expression of effort.

"They called me an 'okama' – what's that?" Kid then asked as the left the place. It all collapsed with a noisy thunder of sound, sending up dust and ash into the sky. Ussop startled as he whipped around to look at it, gaping at the display of crumpling metal framework and sheets. Something boomed noisily that caused blackened smoke to slither up from open slots.

Thinking about the question, Ussop blinked rapidly. "Uh, it's…they're…uh, men with passionate wishes to be women."

"Like drag queens?"

Ussop gave him a blank look as Kid wondered how that worked. Then he looked down at himself, growing insulted that he should be compared to one.

"It's this damn outfit," he muttered, ripping the sleeves from his shirt. All the tools he'd had clinging to his left arm collapsed noisily around his feet as he struggled to do so. Ussop watched him warily, uncertain of his mood. Once his sleeves were removed, Kid then yanked off the cape, tearing off the collar that had pulled up around his neck and tearing the zipper away from the halves holding his stiff shirt together. This allowed most of his upper chest visible. Huffing, he nodded in satisfaction and pulled the cape back on.

Ussop wanted to ask him why he preferred such an immodest display that would earn him a guaranteed sunburn, but was too afraid to question it. Making their way back to where Kid had left the others, the taller man was horrified to find that the vehicle was gone. He raced up to where the tracks had continued on, looking down the road with an outraged scream.

"You _FUCK_!" he screamed, swinging at the air. "You fucking _fuck_! Backstabbing, anal leaking _motherfucker_!"

Ussop was puzzled by his reaction, but stood stiffly to remain out of his attention range. All the tools that had formed around his left arm collapsed to the road with a noisy clatter as Kid shouted at the air. The air echoed with his curses, shaking ash and dust from the road.

Holding onto the basket with care, Ussop waited for him to catch his breath. He felt awkwardly uncomfortable as Kid collapsed onto his hands and knees, heaving heavy breath on what was left of the road. To try and make it easy for him, he suggested lightly, "Maybe there's one vehicle back there that escaped the damage. We can go back an' get it."

Kid perked up.

Two hours later, they caught sight of Zoro trudging along the earlier highway, a rabbit slung over his shoulder. He was heading in the opposite direction he'd left them from, which caused Kid a growl of irritated frustration. Ussop waved wildly at him just to indicate that they were friendlies – the vehicle was a fast moving car with a wide grill, a heavy back that allowed two people to stand on in a single cage, and mounted with a machine gun that looked as if it had been put together with random parts. The roll bars were softened with foam on the inside, but decorated with heavy metal wedges on top – the three seater wasn't exactly comfortable – Ussop kept himself pressed against his side of the car to keep Kid's too warm form on his.

" _Where the hell are you going_?" Kid asked him, braking to a sudden stop as Zoro looked over the vehicle with disapproval.

"Where you get that from? Ussop? Where's Sanji?"

"We were separated! You know how he is!" Ussop said with dismay. "I'm so worried about him, right now. I tried tracking him but then these guys came along, and I have no idea where he wandered off, to."

"We are THAT way, not _this_ way!" Kid yelled at Zoro. "What is _wrong_ with you? Follow your damn tracks back!"

"Couldn't find them," Zoro said with a shrug, tossing the rabbit in on them, the heavy animal causing them both to react with a startled jerk as it settled over their laps. He crawled in to sit in the back seat, examining the lack of a ceiling. "Birds can get in right quick."

"Everything leaves a trail, why are you so directionally challenged?" Kid clamped a hand over his face with frustration as Zoro squinted up at the roll bars warily.

"The others left without him," Ussop reported to Zoro, kicking the rabbit's body to the floor. "We're going to head on after them to stop them."

"Might as well as go on ahead," Zoro said, wiping his nose with the back of one arm.

"But what about Sanji?"

"He'll show up. I heard him calling out earlier, he ain't human. He'll be fine."

Ussop gave him an uncertain look, holding tightly onto the food basket that Kid occasionally snaked a treat out of. "Are you sure?"

"He'll show up where there's people – must've not sensed any close by, otherwise he'd wind up there," Zoro said with confidence.

"This guy just obliterated an entire base of marauders on his own," Ussop said, awe dripping from his tone.

"Yeah, it was no big deal," Kid bragged. "It wasn't even that much of a challenge, you said people were dangerous out here, right? Ain't so much if they couldn't even get a hit on me."

Zoro shrugged a shoulder. "I saw some guys earlier. Coming back with some carcasses from the outside."

Kid looked at him, holding onto the steering wheel tight. "What do _you_ consider a big deal, then?"

"I dunno. Never ran into a big deal, myself," Zoro answered airly.

" _I'm_ a big deal!"

"It'd be easy to take you out," Zoro said thoughtfully. He nodded, as if confirming something to himself.

Outraged, Kid leaned in his seat to bark at him, "I gave you a good fight the night you were a beast, don't tell me I'm easy!"

"Doesn't count if I don't remember it."

"It counts!"

"WATCH THE ROAD!" Ussop cried as the wheels bounced off some debris, rocking the car from side to side until Kid gained control over it.

"Besides, you rely too much on your abilities," Zoro continued. "Hand to hand, it'd be easy to twist your wrist."

"TRY ME!" Kid challenged him.

"Nah. No point in it."

"You're infuriating!"

"'Infuriating'," Zoro repeated thoughtfully, wrinkling his brow. He looked to Ussop. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I nearly died," Ussop answered with a hand to his heart. "Hairbreadth's from death until he showed up."

"They had him in a cage, no injury on him," Kid scoffed.

"I went through hours of torture and pain – but I'm good, now," Ussop decided with a long sigh. "Any other man would've caved under that type o'treatment, but not me. Mind of a steel cage."

"Good to hear," Zoro said with approval.

"I noticed no one said 'thank you'," Kid then grumbled, glaring at the road. Once he saw an opportunity to rejoin the one they had been taking hours earlier, he was relieved to see the tracks of their vehicle still remaining within the ash and dust. A small cloud of activity grew apparent ahead of them. He gripped the steering wheel tight, muttering, "I'm going to ram them. Hopefully I kill them all."

"You guys really don't have any love for each other, do ya?" Ussop questioned with concern. "None of you even show any like for each other."

"Why should we?"

"I mean, if you with someone for a long time, you get fond of them," Zoro supplied with concern.

"Not these guys. No one cares. Why should we? We just hang out because we tolerate each other," Kid complained.

Ussop and Zoro rolled their eyes to each other.

"And besides, if any of them got dead, I wouldn't give a fuck."

"Then who you gonna argue with?" Zoro asked impatiently. "Cuz you spend all your time fighting with them, so if they ain't there to give you any grief, what you gonna do?"

" _Be happy_!" Kid declared, turning to glare at him while Ussop fretted. "For the first time in my life, I'd be happy!"

"Right," Zoro muttered, not believing him as he turned his attention to the left.

"You're like a family of siblings than enemies," Ussop ventured cautiously, nearly eviscerated by the look Kid threw him. He recoiled up against his door.

"After I saved your life, you say shit like that," Kid muttered bitterly. "' _Family'_ …tch."

"Well, I mean – your relationship is like Zoro and Sanji's," Ussop continued, twiddling his thumbs anxiously as he tried to sound friendly. "You guys fight like cats and dogs, but you're quick to jump for each other's plans."

"It's _not_ like that! My stuff happens to coincide with _his_ , and besides, I mostly tend to do the opposite of what _he_ does!" Kid protested, then growled. Ussop tried not to show any negativity to this; it was important that he do what he could not to provoke the childish behavior. "Don't lump me in with anything similar to that guy, you're just making me mad."

Zoro then stood up, propping himself to stand while pointing. "Ussop, what's that over there?"

Ussop squinted off in that direction, seeing that he had caught sight of something moving in the distance. Judging from the small cloud of ash, he said, "It's a rider. Single. Two horses. Can't see gender."

"Like a cowboy?" Kid asked warily, squinting in that direction. The car moved as he tried to pick out the details Ussop was seeing, but the man had far better eyesight than he did. He hurriedly corrected himself, Zoro flopping backwards with a startled sound. Their car bounced off uneven terrain before Kid maintained control.

Ussop gave a concerned frown as the rider disappeared from his sight, rolling hills overtaking the view. "Hope they're able to survive this terrain. It's all wolves and predators from here."

"You sure Sanji would be alright?" Kid asked Zoro curiously. "Cuz there are a lot of animals bigger than him out here."

"He weren't alone when we met," Zoro said with confidence.

"You _said_ he was an animal when you _met_. So he was with other humans like you?"

"Nah. This place home of bigger foxes. He probably met up with them. They sound of mind to fix it," Zoro said with a shrug. "He'll find us when he finds us, I ain't worried."

"Law's going to throw a fit."

Zoro scoffed. "Let him."


	21. Chapter 21

**A/n: hopefully this makes sense – I had written this before I got terribly ill. Just found it waiting in my email.**

 **Naghi-Tan: He's confident in his buddy, that's why. XD The rider will come in handy soon ;D**

 **: : Twenty-One**

They caught up to the vehicle nearly an hour later – Kid had intended on ramming them if it wasn't for Ussop's quick thinking. The terrified younger man snaked a leg over Kid's to hit the brake, then yanked the wheel to allow them to narrowly miss a surprised Luffy as he hurried out to the back of the truck to see who was coming up on them. He was sprayed with ash and dirt as Kid regained control of the car, but ended up overturning it over some questionable mounds that lifted up from the road like cartoonish hills. The three of them held onto whatever they could as the car rolled once, ending up on its side in a noisy spray of dirt, squealing metal against pavement and rock. After the vehicle settled Kid crawled out from between the roll bars, catching sight of Law giving him an unamused frown while Luffy clutched his own chest and shakily held himself against the truck's back bumper.

" _Dramatic_ ," Law commented as he waited for the trio to climb out. "Ussop? Where's Sanji?"

"Fuck that guy, this is all I found. And why'd you leave me?" Kid demanded, rising from the dirt and brushing himself off. "Why'd you stop here?"

"We hit something," Perona complained, leaning out the passenger side window while Law's expression changed stiffly at the news. She pointed to the front where the truck's grill was buried into one of the mounds – another tread had fallen off, the axle smoking slightly. As Kid ventured close to investigate, he saw that there was a greasy face imprint just above the dash where Luffy had connected. The heavy metal grill looked chipped but otherwise unharmed.

The mound had separated to reveal the remains of a safety pole to protect pedestrians from being hit by traffic. Looking around, he saw that what looked like a dirt canyon; the pole suggested that the entire area had years of loose dirt piling over a town that had once stood here. The canyon itself suggested that the 'hills' were actually crumbled structures overwhelmed by dust and debris. It was deceptive in its appearance. Without the appearance of a road, using a vehicle in this area would invite similar collusions and he grit his teeth with frustration.

'Why isn't he with you?" Law asked Ussop, tone dropping several degrees. Ussop took a cautious step behind Zoro, who was brushing himself off with an expression similar to Luffy's. "You left together, right? Did you leave him behind?"

"He'll catch up to us when he's ready," Zoro muttered, frowning at Kid for their entrance. He looked back to examine the state of their car, unsure of how they were even able to walk away from it.

"So he's _alone_? Out there?"

"No."

"Then - !"

" _Shh_ ," Perona whispered, reaching out to place a finger over Law's mouth. "Your ownership privileges will be revoked if you throw a fit out here."

She screamed when he bit her, extracting her finger with some wild flailing. Ussop thought he'd faint as he saw the appendage emerge with some rather intense bite drags. She blew on it with building tears while Luffy tried not to laugh at her reaction and Kid gave a disgusted cry of dismay to the tread's newest damage.

"Remember where we came from," Zoro said, crossing his arms stubbornly as Law faced him, spitting out the taste of Perona's finger. "I heard him hours earlier. We'd come through this just fine as kids."

"As _children_ but the circumstances are quite different right now - !"

"So as an _adult_ that we're relying on," Kid cut in with a nasty expression aimed towards the other man, "you'd think he'd be quite fine out there by himself, anyway!"

Law gave him a dirty look, Kid happy to return a gesture that Law had given him hours earlier, to mock him for staring at Zoro. It made Kid's day to see the other man's face redden, the scowl intensifying. But Law said nothing in response while Perona sneered at him from behind, blowing on her finger.

"Some animals are better suited to takin' care of each other than humans are," Zoro said, looking away from him to observe their surroundings. Law wasn't sure what he meant by that, feeling his face fall with sullen weight. "I don't remember this dirt pit ever being here. I don't think I ever passed through it."

"What we going to do, then?" Luffy asked, arms spread. " _Where_ are we going to go? We should go looking for Sanji, he knows how to feed us. That's why we're here, right?"

"We're out of food," Perona mentioned, then turned her glare at Luffy. " _Somehow_."

"Since I have another car, I don't need this one," Kid said, kicking the truck. He leaned into Law to say, "You can fix it yourself. If you want to live."

Law glanced at him before making a gesture with his fingers. At the rattling sound of the car Kid had crashed minutes earlier lifting up from the dirt, he whirled around to see it being shifted slowly to face backside down. He grabbed Law's wrist with frantic action, recognizing what he was doing to do. Then he spun on his heel to catch the weight with his own ability – Zoro and Ussop watched them struggle against each other, their abilities fighting the other's to either save or damage the car.

"Like siblings," Ussop whispered to Zoro, who nodded with an exasperated expression.

"This is _boring_ ," Luffy then sighed as Perona looked up from nursing her finger. "There is nothing but dirt around here. I expected all sorts of terrible things to happen, not just getting stuck in sand. You guys lied to us."

"Yeah, I'm over it," she agreed. She looked to Ussop, banging on the truck door to gain his attention. "Where'd you come from, peasant?"

"I was kidnapped by a blood thirsty gang," Ussop answered with a heavy sigh. "If it wasn't for my quick thinkin', I could've died."

"Why didn't you?"

"I…didn't feel like it, today."

"That's my boy!"

Shaking his head, Zoro turned away from the scene. Scanning over the landscape, he figured they could just venture out from where they'd come in and move around it. It'd be easier on foot. He smacked his lips as he reached for his rucksack, pulling out a canteen. He took a long pull of it before a sudden silence caught his attention. He capped it and looked back at the others to see why they had gone quiet and realized all of them were staring at him with intense expressions.

He replaced the canteen with a severe frown. "Don't tell me ya'll didn't bring any water?"

"Did we?" Perona whispered to Law, who dropped his hold on the vehicle, Kid's opposing force sending the vehicle high up into the air before Kid regained control over it.

"We did," Law said, giving a puzzled frown.

"I am _so_ thirsty," Luffy said with dawning realization. "Where _is_ the water?"

"I lost mine back there!" Ussop exclaimed with horror.

"Fuck, now that you say that, _I'm_ thirsty," Kid said, replacing the car neatly onto the ground. "Gimme some of that water, Zoro."

"If we don't find some, we're gonna die!" Zoro exclaimed, looking at them incredulously. "How did you not pack for this? I thought one of those crates had a barrel of it!"

"It did, but we drank it all," Luffy said with a shrug. "We was real thirsty since we didn't have any food."

"This is how it truly ends," Law said thoughtfully. "Drying up like skeletons – we can go a week without eating, but only three days without water. Who has to pee first? More than likely, it has a properly balanced quality to it with which we can drink safely – "

"I'm not drinking anyone's pee!" Perona roared, then regretted it immensely as she clutched her throat. She looked to Zoro. "Give us your water, _or die_."

"I'm not givin' up anything!" Zoro exclaimed.

"I don't want to die _thirsty_!"

"Weren't you trained on proper survival tactics?"

"Well, that was in our time," Kid muttered bitterly. "We didn't have to worry about stuff like that."

"I'm drying up," Luffy said dramatically, dropping to his knees into the dirt. "I'm literally turning into sand right now. If I don't have some water, I'm going to crumble."

Perona scrambled out from the truck, looking determinedly at Zoro. "I'll kill him first."

Ussop's eyes nearly bugged out of his head as he saw her outfit, and he slapped his hands over his face, turning away from the sight of her. " _Woman, where are your clothes_?" he shrieked in dismay.

"Don't turn on me!" Zoro snapped at her, realizing that three of them were looking at him with thoughtful expressions. Only Kid looked conflicted, while Ussop gave the trio a panicked noise, turning to stand in front of them with his arms spread out. He kept his head averted from Perona, struggling not to look at her directly.

"Look, there's a solution to this," Ussop said quickly. "We can make and filter our own water, it's just gonna take a bit of time to do so! Do ya'll have any plastic?"

"Maybe if we ingest his body, we'll take on his characteristics, too," Law said thoughtfully, wiping his forehead. "It could come into handy."

"You _can't_ eat him," Kid snapped at him. "Look at me, I haven't turned! It's a full moon, and even though _I_ was bit, I ain't turning into a goddamn werewolf! You can't test that theory!"

"We can still drink his blood before it spoils."

"You guys are _sick_!" Zoro snapped, taking a wary step back as Luffy prepared to launch himself at him, Perona inching towards him with a crazed expression. "I told you guys it was going to be rough out here - !"

He cut himself off. The others' voices crowded out as his sharp hearing caught something from a distance, all instincts at high alert. He only had time to react and not think. He drew Wado quickly, moving into a sharp backwards step and a turning angle that allowed him to cross the space between himself and the others. Standing where he was, Law only saw the flash of Zoro's sword moving as the wolf suddenly appeared in front of a loudly complaining Kid. From the corner of his eye, Law registered Luffy's head snapping towards the right, throwing himself into a stretching reach away from them with a low growl.

In mere seconds Law heard the sharp crack of metal upon metal, and the soft thump of impact into the dirt. Perona was still moving towards where Zoro had been standing mere moments ago, not realizing what was happening. Law couldn't believe how fast the wolf was until he put together the moment _after_ it had happened. Someone had fired at them from an incredible distance, and Zoro's sword had merely redirected the sniper's bullet from Kid's head into the dirt. Kid wasn't even aware of what was happening until he saw Zoro standing in front of him, Wado lowering as he then shot off into a sprint away from him.

Sputtering with confusion, Kid wheeled backwards as Law looked at him with surprise.

"We're under attack," he said slowly. "Too bad you didn't die."

" _WHAT_?" Kid shouted furiously, Perona whipping around to look back at them with a confused expression. Kid then froze for a few moments, looking at the imprints of Zoro's footsteps. Law watched his normally pale face suddenly bloom with what looked like a blush, and he made a revolted sound. "He…protected me…?"

" _Gross_ ," Law said with dripping disgust, earning Kid's embarrassment.

"SHUT UP!"

Ussop turned with a slight stagger as he grew aware of the situation, then hastily dove behind the truck for cover. Perona joined him as bullets tinged off the truck's back bumper, Law crouching up against one of the wheels while Kid pushed his hands out, pausing the hail. He finally saw several men, possibly survivors from the small colony he'd upset running for cover behind a dirt mound. Zoro and Luffy were already attacking a group settled behind another, gun shots and shouts ringing out as their attackers realized they'd been spotted.

"Maybe they have water," Law commented, examining his nails. He heard Luffy's maniacal scream about having guns aimed at him, the dying screams of men as they fell prey to his Gatling-Gun attack.

Newly motivated, Kid headed into the other direction. "I'm going to kill them all and take the spoils of this war!"

"Ah, wait for me!" Perona cried, rising to her feet hastily and using him for cover. "If we're going to be attacked like this in the damn desert, then it'd make sense to form our own army!"

" _Put on some clothes_!" Ussop cried uselessly after her, horrified over her lack of modesty.

"So, are we working together, then?" Law asked, standing up cautiously as bullets pinged over the truck with noisy fanfare. Ussop kept himself into a tight ball, covering his head as he heard the shift in the gunfire. Alarmed shouts rose up, the sound of shredding and crumbling metal screeching through the still desert air. Law sat down to examine his nails once more, Perona's shrieks of laughter rising just behind Kid's angry shouts. Screaming commenced seconds later, Ussop cringing at the distorted and mangled noises that told him a gruesome scene was occurring. Law looked at him.

"Where's Sanji?" he then asked.

"He wandered off while I was sleeping," Ussop answered nervously. "I couldn't tell ya when. But Zoro said he heard him hours earlier, calling out as an animal. Maybe in that form he'll be fine."

Unwanted images came to mind based off what Law understood of Sanji's human behavior. These things must have caused a certain expression to cross his face, for Ussop then said, "Animals work different from people – males will fight each other, so I'm pretty sure he's out there fighting other males. It'd be different from when he's human an' wants affection."

Law considered this, settling the images away with a slow nod. "But if so, that would mean his aggressive nature would challenge other beasts."

"I wouldn't worry about it," Ussop assured him with a waving hand, suddenly confident. "Sanji has his moments but he's just as tough. He'll come back exhausted and battle scarred but be hisself after some rest."

"But _only_ if there aren't other humans available."

Ussop nodded slowly to confirm this.

"Then where'd these people come from?"

"They're a small group, but Kid destroyed their entire living space," Ussop said with awe. "Some must've escaped in the mess, but that's how the wastelands are. Made up of smaller groups. Colonies are rare in between because of the mess they need ta support themselves. So if you ain't unified with them, then these small groups don't want'cha."

"Is that how you survived?"

Ussop gave a sheepish shrug. "I thought just until Sanji found me. He always does."

"But everything matters if we don't have water in hand," Law said.

"Yeah, we'll die out here without it," Ussop answered shakily. "I was hoping you guys would've come out prepared! After all, we'd warned ya what the wastelands was about. It wasn't gonna be easy."

"We were but we're also relying on you three to get us through this, as agreed," Law said, rising to see where the battles were going.

"I'm pretty sure _we_ agreed to nothing," Ussop mumbled to himself.

"Then to proceed any further would be a disadvantage for us," Law decided, looking at the other car. Ussop watched with horror as Law's hand raised, the car that Kid had used lifting into the air. With a crunch of sound, metal twisted and curled, crushing inward like an aluminum can. Parts fell down into the sand, raining down with puffs of ash rising in their descent. He then turned to the truck and ripped away the tread, tossing that into the dirt canyons furthest from him. He gave a satisfied sound and sat back down, Ussop looking at him with soundless shock.

Ussop was pretty sure that if they all didn't die from the lack of food or water, they were going to die at the hands of the quartet's bad decisions formed out of childish action towards each other. When Kid returned, hauling a barrel of water, he saw what had happened to the car and truck. He dropped the barrel with a startled curse, Ussop putting everything he had into reaching out and cushioning the barrel's fall with his body.

"What the _fuck_?" Kid cried, hands to his head as he whirled around to look at Law, who stood and leaned against the truck stubbornly. " _What are you doing_? Are you out of your mind?"

"Were you successful in securing some water?" Law asked instead.

"Why did you do _this_?"

"It must've happen during your fight. Ussop and I were just sitting here."

"USSOP!" Kid roared, looking at the man as he carefully set the barrel aside, sweating nervously as he did so. He jerked at the sound of his name. "Did this _asshole_ just pulverize my car?"

"I…I…I don't know," Ussop stammered, looking everywhere but him while twiddling his thumbs together nervously. "I…wasn't here – I didn't even notice!"

"You're a _jerk_!" Kid snarled at Law, striding up to him. He then caught sight of the tread, and looked around with an incredulous expression, hands out. " _What the hell_ happened to the truck? Where's the tread?"

"It's going to take some time to repair it, I suppose we should just set up camp," Law decided, walking away from him. "Until we give a thorough examination of the area, we should at least wait here a couple of days."

Hands to his hair, Kid's mouth hung open as he twirled in a small circle, searching in vain for the missing part. Then his neck and face reddened, Ussop watching cautiously as Luffy and Zoro returned to them, the wolf carrying a couple of barrels over his shoulders and Luffy lugging a crate over his own back.

"We found food and water!" he said breathlessly, tossing the crate carelessly into the back of the truck. "We're good! Those guys were no match for either of us! There sure are some sissies out there, I don't think we're going to have a problem with anyone else."

"We're going to have a problem with another situation," Kid growled out, turning to face Law once more. "This _jerk_ sabotaged our vehicles. We can't go anywhere!"

"We still got legs," Zoro said with a shrug, setting the barrels down.

"We can't lug all this stuff across the wastelands on our backs!"

"You got powers."

"I'm no pack horse," Kid growled, standing close to Law, seething with visible anger while the man dismissed him with a look into another direction. "You did this purposely! You had no right to fuck up our shit just because _you_ ain't happy!"

"What's going on?" Perona asked, shrugging on a light poncho. A group of men with grievous injuries stood unsteadily behind her, their mouths twitching with unsettling noise. Ussop looked at them uneasily, looking to Zoro for some direction as the wolf glanced around, seeing the confrontation taking place. He then noticed the state of the car, the truck's missing tread. He then gave Ussop a shrugging motion as Luffy opened up one of the barrels and tilted it over his face.

As water splashed down uselessly around him, Zoro hastily jerked the barrel out of his grasp and held it off to the side as Luffy coughed and sputtered, wiping his face with dirty hands.

"Don't waste water!" Zoro snapped at him, popping the cork back in. "All of you need to stop with this useless fighting – it ain't getting us anywhere!"

"He _sabotaged_ us into dying out here," Kid snarled, Law averting his head to flick dirt from his shoulder. "Which makes me think we don't need him."

"Are you going to kill him?" Perona asked excitedly. "Then I could see if I can control him with his powers!"

"Because we can't use them on each other," she then added to Ussop, who looked worried. He looked at her with a puzzled look. "They expected that we'd turn on each other, so it doesn't work if we try using our powers on each other. But if I can have one of them as my ghosts, it might give me an advantage!"

"We're not dying out here," Law said with a roll of his eyes. "Not because of my actions, but because we're ill-prepared."

"We have food, we have water. I have a hunter to bring us meat," Kid snarled, grabbing an arm to force Law to face him.

"Who's going to cook it? And stop breathing on me, that stench is making me sick," Law said, shoving his face aside. As Kid stumbled, Law asked Zoro, "Can you cook that thing, there? It's time to eat."

"I really…don't know how," Zoro admitted, Luffy stretching an arm out to retrieve it hastily. He took it by its back legs, the animal dangling uselessly in front of him. "I could skin it and toss it over the fire, but that's the end of my cooking."

"Then do it. Instead of bitching about things, do something useful," Law then told Kid as he walked away, examining a narrow pathway where the poles aligned with the sidewalk. Kid strode after him, grabbing onto the back of his collar to face him once again.

"This ain't your show," he snapped. "Quit making it about yourself! We're trying to get out and away from shit, and you want to stay and wallow in it! Just like you wanted to do about the base!"

"I'm doing more than that, you moron," Law snapped back at him, hitting his hand away. "That idiot over there can't cook and expects us to survive on bugs and roots – can you imagine doing that for the rest of this trip?"

"We're expected to adapt and overcome! If it means we gotta do that, then hell with it, we have to! Just because your toy ain't here to entertain you don't mean you have to take it out on the rest of us!"

"You're an idiot that won't last long on that imagination of yours, considering you couldn't even adapt to the colonists' food. Continue wasting your breath on this useless subject, maybe you'll die faster."

"As much as I like the thought of ya'll offing yaselves and saving us the trouble of any more babysitting, fighting each other ain't getting us anywhere," Zoro cut in, Perona and Luffy crying out with disgust as they watched Ussop yank the rabbit's skin completely away from its body. At the sight of its scrawny, muscular body in full view, both Kid and Law blanched. Fur fluttered around Ussop's hands as he tossed it aside, Zoro opening up the animal from neck to genitals with a knife and releasing the innards onto the dirt below. Luffy turned to the side with a heave.

"That doesn't look like it'll feed all of us," Perona said with uncertainty, judging the animal's smaller body with a critical eye. "It's rather boney."

"It's enough for a snack," Zoro said with a shrug, waiting for Ussop to hurriedly construct a fire. He examined the body for himself, then looked around for a spit to use to roast it with. "But we're gonna need more than that for the days after."

"You brought back some food," Kid said, walking over to the crate. He opened it, revealing packages of vacuum sealed food. Luffy's hands were immediately into it, causing him to slap at the younger man impatiently. "A pack for each once a day – if we keep it to that, we can stretch it to at least three days."

"Then we'd still have to hunt a little," Zoro said with a sigh, fitting the rabbit's body length-wise onto the spit, tearing into muscle with a slight shredding sound that made Law fell ill.

Imagining that he'd have to eat the thing gave him a queasy feeling – not because he remembered the last time he'd had rabbit, but because the thing was handled so carelessly. Because it had been alive and breathing hours ago – which made him think of congealed fluids and open cavities influenced by matter that _shouldn't_ mix together. It wasn't the same as depending on already packaged meat ready for the stove or oven; it was different actually seeing it being prepared so sloppily right in front of him.

He heard Kid swallow hard as he closed the crate. He was struggling not to look in that direction, Law noticed, vaguely green around the gills. Perona didn't show much of a reaction, already conditioned to such things while she pulled out her umbrella from the truck and sat down in the open passenger side with a huge sigh.

"This is _boring_!" she sighed. "I miss city sights and the convenience of things already at hand! If we woke up in our time, we wouldn't have to be worrying about this type of thing! We'd only need a cook for the nuggets we'd find at abandoned fast food places. I _really_ miss nuggets…"

"None of that should matter now," Zoro said impatiently, crouching aside the fire and wiping sweat from his face. He rotated the animal slowly as Ussop hastily put together a support structure for the spit. Once he had it finished, Zoro adjusted it properly, then eyed it with distrust. He'd seen Sanji operate this type of apparatus for cooking, but he'd never paid attention to what the fox actually did.

"I didn't even see any fruit or berry brush anywhere," Ussop sighed. "I'm not sure what type of roots Sanji looks for out here."

"It's different from over there," Zoro agreed. "Different environment."

"See? We need Sanji," Law told Kid petulantly as Kid reddened once more.

"We can do this without him!" he declared. "Zoro has it under control! We just have to trust in _him_! He's the only one we can depend on, right now, there's no point in wasting time on a guy that's whoring around animaltown for shits and giggles."

"I don't even trust myself," Zoro mumbled, turning the animal once more. Ussop looked at it with a thoughtful expression, crouching next to him.

Nearly a half hour later, everyone was crunching down on what remained of the animal. The blackened meat made Luffy's eyes water as he sought to swallow down what he could tear apart with his teeth, alternating between ferocious growls and small whimpers as raw juices touched his tongue. Law didn't bother with his share as Kid tore and swallowed, his eyes red with tears of effort. Perona examined her blackened chunk of meat with a critical eye, tearing off what brown slivers she could find before putting it delicately on her tongue. Zoro and Ussop chewed with similar frowns.

"We need Sanji," Luffy said, cleaning off the bone, nearly vomiting as he did so.

"Stop eating it if you're going to get sick," Law told him impatiently. He looked over the charred bone in hand, lip lifting with disdain as blood pooled around his fingers. "Perhaps the fire was too hot."

"What a stupid thing to say!" Kid snapped at him, then clapped a hand over his mouth.

"I told you I'm not a cook," Zoro said with a shrug, tearing into the parts that weren't charred black.

"Then we wait for Sanji," Perona said impatiently. "We made enough noise, maybe he heard us."

"I hope he finds us soon," Luffy said, spitting onto the ground, unsure of whether or not the food was going to stay. His stomach rumbled noisily and he looked to Kid. "Can't we have a packet, now?"

" _No_! We have to ration them until either the full moon dies or we do," Kid growled, looking at his share with a tearful expression. He couldn't finish it – his stomach was signaling upset as the unfamiliar taste intermingled with his saliva, making it difficult to forget. He lowered the bone to his knee, sitting crouched against the truck to hide from the sun's hot heat that made it difficult to ignore. Even as it started to lower, the desert's high heat made it difficult to weather – the glare off the sand was painful, and all of them were squinting or glaring at each other. All of them were lined up against the shade of the truck, listening to a bird of prey screech high up above them.

The ghosts Perona kept were still chittering away, standing in solemn poles in a half moon away from them – in the hot sun, they were already starting to smell.

"We're going to die," Luffy whispered, head tilted up. "Whose dumb idea was it for us to come out here?"

The other two pointed at Kid, who grew flustered. "We _all_ did! At one point, we all wanted to leave that ugly place to forge our own destiny!"

"We should've done it in cooler weather," Perona complained.

"We should've had a better plan," Law muttered, wiping sweat from his forehead.

" _You're_ the dumb ass that was driving Iceburg into a corner!" Kid snapped at him. "If anything happened anyway, we'd still be shit out of luck, doing things on our own!"

"Stop complaining, all of you!" Zoro complained, tossing his bone aside. "It's not doing anything for us."

"We could find shade somewhere, leave the truck here," Kid then said. "Staying out in the open like this will kill us!"

"I'm so _thirsty_ ," Luffy panted, reaching out and capturing one of the water barrels. As his arms snapped back, the force of the barrel's momentum knocked him into Perona, who sprawled out into the dirt with a gasp, dropping her meat. She reached back and socked him upside the head, then shrieked with outrage as she saw that ash and dirt had already permeated what meat she had been nibbling on.

"Then _find_ shade," Law told Kid, pushing Luffy aside for the barrel. "Don't dump it, numb nuts. Find a cup!"

As Luffy shuffled to the front of the truck to find the pitcher that they'd been sharing during the ride, Law looked to Zoro. "How do we set up camp?"

"It'll have to be enclosed because of the cold. It's hot now, but it'll probably be colder later," Zoro said uneasily. "It's been awhile since I been out here, I'm not sure how it works."

"With the way the sand is holding onto the heat, I doubt it'll be that cold. Night will allow it to release the heat, so we should be fine," Law said impatiently. "But regarding other predators and marauders…"

"I'll set my ghosts around us," Perona said. "Because I don't want to be disturbed from my sleep by some assholes raiding our camp in the middle of the night."

"I'm sleeping in the truck!" Kid announced. He looked to Zoro. "You can have the back seat."

"Negated!" Perona bellowed, watching as Luffy dumped water into the pitcher he'd found. Only Ussop was outraged by how much was wasted as water escaped the sides and soaked into the soft dirt. Luffy hastily straightened the barrel and set it aside sloppily. " _I_ get the back seat, I'm the only girl out here! You guys need to protect me, I'm valuable."

"Shut up, no one wants you!"

"What kind of animals are in the area?" Law asked Zoro and Ussop over their bickering. No one was paying attention to Luffy as he saw that they weren't watching him, so he set the pitcher full of water aside and climbed into the back of the truck to open the crate of packaged food, his stomach growling noisily once he saw the packets.

"Sand spiders, snakes, coyotes – they're smaller than the wolves, but they're smarter," Zoro said. "Might not come in this far, though – it still smells of wolf territory. Wouldn't trust the lizards, either. Some of them get curious to come in close. They will bite."

"Are there ways marauders can communicate with each other in the open? Perhaps the ones here had sent a distress signal to others."

"I dunno. If they did, it'd be a flare or something, and I ain't even seen that."

Law tried to get over the headache he felt forming. He pushed aside Perona as she leaned on him to kick at Kid, snapping at him for not letting her sleep in the truck. Rising to his feet, he ventured to the back of the truck to catch Luffy in mid-stuff, looking at him with a surprised expression.

"There goes the rest of our food," he muttered bitterly, Luffy hastily swallowing what was in his mouth.

" _Not uh_!" he cried as the others protested noisily, rising to see him in front of the opened crate. "I have like, three left!"

"That was supposed to be rationed out over _three_ days!" Kid snapped at him, yanking him from the truck bed as Law climbed in, peering into the crate. He held up two packages with a disgusted shake of his head. " _Damn_ you! Damn it! How are we supposed to eat, now?"

"We have to go find Sanji," Luffy decided, brushing himself off as he rose from the dirt. "That's the only way we're going to survive. Zoro, can't you change and sniff him out?"

"No," Zoro muttered, rubbing his temples. "It don't work that way."

"But you recognized him that night," Law said, stuffing one of the packets into his cape pocket. He was dribbling with sweat – he had a bottle of water hidden away in his backpack, but he didn't want to show it off in front of the others, just in case. He was aware he was putting himself into danger of dehydration, but with the way things were going, he had to be careful hiding what supplies he could sneak away from the others.

"I did…but we weren't apart this far. And with you guys so close, who knows what I'd do. I won't have the right mind to avoid mauling the lot of you."

Law reached into one of the trunks packed tightly against the side of the bed, and retrieved the backpack Sanji had left. He pulled out rolls of clothing, everyone looking over with curious expressions. Hopping off the truck bed he held it out to Zoro, who took it with a curious frown. "Does this have enough of his scent to turn you off?"

"It better," Kid couldn't help but mutter, Perona rolling her eyes at him.

Zoro took the shirt with a frown. The scent of his friend was present, but it wasn't as strong as it would be if Sanji were wearing it. He shrugged. "I don't know, maybe. We've all been baking out here in the sun, the smell of you guys might be stronger than the smell of this."

"We need water to take a bath," Law decided, snatching the shirt out of his grasp. "Find a river."

"Yeah, _okay_!" Kid said mockingly. " _Idiot_! We didn't just go and kill all these other chumps for water and food!"

"Then a barrel should be enough."

"We're not wasting a barrel of water to take a damn bath! If Zoro says he'll come here on his own, then he will!"

"I said he _might_ ," Zoro corrected. "Our scent ain't everywhere, and the wind is blowing down away from him. If he runs into us, it's either luck or whatever that brought him here."

" _Shut up_ , Zoro."

Kid's mouth dropped open as Law started to take off his clothes. Ussop screeched at Perona, " _Don't look_!"

"I've seen _everything_ , before, there's nothing on these guys that ain't new to me," she told him impatiently. "Privacy? What's that?"

"We're not wasting our damn water on this stupid ass plan!" Kid shouted impatiently, trying to shove Law's tunic back onto him. They struggled against each other, Ussop sighing as he rested his chin against his palm. He noticed that Luffy was eating the last of the packets, watching the pair with a bewildered face. Zoro looked like he wanted to cry.

"FINE!" he shouted. "Don't do the bath thing! Just – whatever he gots in that bag, put it on! We can only try it and see if it'll work."

" _You_ can be the only one doing this," Kid said, pushing Law off to the side as he struggled to pull the material away from his face. He found the backpack that Sanji had packed, upending it down onto the ground. At the sight of small containers, baggies and clothing, Ussop perked up. He darted over and gathered them up. Kid spotted the bag full of green, giving it a puzzled look. "Oh _wow_ , this guy is a pot head?"

"Is _that_ what it looks like?" Perona asked excitedly. "I've always wanted to try some!"

"We could've been in much better moods if we'd known this was here!"

Ussop snatched it away from them, saying indignantly, "I don't know what you guys mean by that, but these painkillers will come in handy! It's used only for pain!"

"I've got a lot of pain," Kid complained, holding his head.

"Something you've caused yourself! If anything happens to us, we'd need this to get through it," Ussop said, shoving it down in front of his overalls. "I'm sorry, but seeing how crazy you guys are, I can't trust you with your own decisions."

Law removed his tunic, and dumped the pitcher of water over himself, scrubbing in an attempt to remove his own sweat smell with the effort. Zoro was alarmed at how casually he wasted so much of the water that they might need for later. Law then struggled to pull on Sanji's shirt. It was his nightgown, and it was incredibly tight around Law's shoulders and chest. Part of the left sleeve ripped as he forced it down, and he stilled as Perona laughed loudly at him.

"You look like such a _dork_!"

Shaking out other pieces of Sanji's clothes, Kid grumbled as he headed to the truck. "Get in, assholes. I'm covering the windows with this shit, and that should discourage Zoro from attacking us."

"You guys are all flights of fancy," Zoro complained, watching them roll the windows up to trap articles of Sanji's clothing there. Ussop gave him an uncertain look, Zoro struggling to remain somewhat confident. "This ain't gonna work."

"Just try it," Law said impatiently. "If you don't hurry, we're all going to die because of Kid's decisions."

"WHO IS THE ONE THAT WRECKED OUR SHIT?" Kid bellowed from the truck. He reached out towards Law, fingers squeezing together as he imagined force-choking him. Perona pushed him back onto the seat as Luffy closed the driver's side door over his own fingers. Amidst his screams of pain, Kid said to Law, "I hope you die, chicken shit."

"Whatever," Law muttered with a roll of his eyes, then looked to Zoro as various truck doors opened and slammed. "Get it over with. Our future is at stack."

"You sure you want to risk it? Even if I smell Sanji on it, there's no telling what I'll do," Zoro said with uncertainty. "I don't even know what I might be capable of doing. I can still smell _you_ over that thing."

Law considered his words, then shrugged. "I can stop you."

He activated a Room, and Zoro exhaled uneasily. He removed his clothing with a reluctant expression, folding them neatly into a pile. Faced with his naked body, Law couldn't help but make a repulsed face, looking up to the sky to avoid seeing various parts. Zoro then faced him, feeling the hot desert air slap his exposed parts, and he hid himself self-consciously. He then talked himself out of feeling so reluctant – if he removed just one of the troublemakers, then maybe his life would be easier.

He changed form and the world around him changed. He instantly caught scent of a predator, and instead of picturing the man he'd grown acquainted with, he saw a challenge standing in front of him. He wasn't in any immediate danger – but he was confused with the smell of his fox friend all over this man. A part of him recognized that his instinct didn't like this man – but another part of him knew that if Sanji's scent was on him, then Sanji had accepted him. There wasn't any lingering smells of distress from Sanji – just the manifestation of his presence that made Zoro feel as if Sanji was comfortable with this man. He leaned down to sniff at the parts of Sanji that were present on the man in front of him – it made Zoro's fur ripple with unease, catching the strength of the man's scent compared to Sanji's. He caught a slight trace of tension from the man's scent that seemed to overwhelm Sanji's – he prepared to fight, baring his teeth and tensing his muscles, eager to win.

He didn't receive a response so he reluctantly turned his head, sniffing the hot desert air for any sign of his companion. Sanji's scent was less in this direction, and it confused him – he couldn't find any present traces of him anywhere. Anxiety set in him as he scanned his surroundings, finding that it was a different landscape from what he was used to. He stood up, examining the smells around him – the fresh scent of a kill was present so he investigated those. They were human men, an unidentifiable tribe that made his senses spark with revulsion as he recognized that they were already dead. He turned away from those, looking around – though man was just a blur of shape recognizable only as a threat, there just wasn't enough danger around it for Zoro to further investigate.

He sniffed around the truck, smelling more people – but also more of Sanji's scent. He couldn't find any traces that would tell him the fox was nearby – there was none lingering on the metal that was recent. He could usually trace the fox's movements if he were around, but while his scent was old, there didn't seem to be any of his recent presence in the vicinity. He grew worried, uttering faint whimpers as he scanned the horizon once again, trying to pick a destination.

He heard the voice of a man and stiffened – it was a familiar voice, one that made his hackles rise as he ventured towards the source of it. It had come from the man was wearing Sanji's scent, and it confused Zoro all over again. The man wasn't as tense as before, and the gesture of his arm was pointing in a direction Zoro automatically looked to in case he'd missed seeing Sanji.

"Stupid mutt," he heard uttered, and he bared his teeth at the change in tone. Restlessly he pranced around, sniffing at the campsite and around the charred meat that he immediately lapped up, crunching noisily and appreciating the weak taste of meat. It made him cough and hack as the charred remains caught in his throat. As soon as he was able, he released a sharp bark to at least get an answer from Sanji if he were able to hear him. Hearing his own voice echo throughout the barren area, Zoro's ears perked, interested in a potential challenger. Whining when he heard nothing, he paced around the truck restlessly. In the distance, the faintest of sounds caused him to straighten up at full attention.

It was far, but he definitely recognized the fox's shout. He darted off in that direction, ears perked. Racing away from the campsite, he released a series of barks to let his friend know he was coming. The answering cry was faint, but Zoro knew with confidence he could find him.

Law watched the beast charge off back in the direction they'd come, and released a slow exhale. As he did, the nightgown around his chest stretched and popped, thread breaking and material separating to allow parts of his upper body to show. Kid slowly cranked the window down.

"Did it work?" he asked in a low whisper.

"Am I still alive?"

" _Enough of your shit_!" Kid snapped at him as he opened the door, Perona and Luffy spilling out as he exited the truck. He looked off in the direction Law was looking, then frowned. "So…how are they going to come back if Sanji lost his mind and Zoro doesn't know his way back?"

Law frowned.

"…We're going to _die_ out here, and it's _your_ fault," Kid hissed at him, retreating back to the truck.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/n: some clarity! This is a longish chapter – I'mfinally on a roll! My laptop just gave out with no warning : | so I'm pretty bummed. Kid's been on a Force-choke rampage bc I just cannot get the image of Kylo-Ren/Kid out of my head XD expect more drawings to pop up on my Tumblr.**

 **Naghi-Tan, Penumbra, HS – thank you guys for your reviews! They give me such joy to read – I know this story grew and changed to a whole new direction (honestly it was supposed to end tragically at the colony BUT I need it to continue for, hmm, personal enjoyment reasons!) so I don't mind if you guys eventually move on from it. It's a story that I can't see no ending to, yet. Thank you guys for hanging on! Hopefully it starts to evolve, soon. There's just so much that I see that I want to see :D**

 **: : Twenty Two**

When night hit, the temperature lowered significantly. It was enough to have them shivering as Kid reluctantly made a fire. The four of them huddled around it, wearing grim expressions. Kid glared over the flames at Law, Perona shrugging on one of her capes as Luffy rubbed his arms anxiously. While the full moon was bright and round off to the east, it cast enough light to prevent shadows from forming around them. Perona's ghosts were circled around them within a large perimeter, to give them enough time to wake up and react should anything venture too close to them.

"If you have anymore brilliant ideas, keep them to yourself," Kid muttered. "Not only did we lose our guides, but now we're starving and trapped inside of an area we know absolutely nothing about, so we're essentially going to _rot_ here."

Law looked unconcerned. "Zoro isn't a beast for that long – he'll change back and remember what he'd left behind. He'll use Sanji to find us."

" _Sanji_ , _Sanji_ , _Sanji_ ," Kid mimicked. "You're grossly obsessed with that guy."

"Do you really want to bring that topic up now?"

"We have nothing else to talk about!" Kid huffed, glaring at the flames. He held his hands out, rubbing them to absorb the warmth.

"It's _gross_ how _both_ of you are obsessed," Perona muttered. Her voice grew in volume as she registered twin scowls directed her way. "Luffy and I have to stand here and hear it and it's so _nasty_ that you're both blasting each other for having serious man crushes on these two guys – _who might not even be of age_ , you perverts! Do you even know how old they are? You're both old men!"

"I'm not even old! I'm twenty-one!" Kid cried.

"And I bet _they're_ still teenagers! Which makes _you_ a predator! Ussop! How old are they?"

Ussop felt himself sweat nervously. "You're of age when you're old enough to provide."

" _DISGUSTING_!"

"The colonists grow their children to help out, that's how age is determined! Besides, I _think_ they're older than I am, and I'm seventeen."

"So am I!" Luffy exclaimed, lighting up with common ground found with the other teen.

"Oh well, I'm older than all of you – I'm twenty-seven," Perona said with thoughtful action.

Kid threw dirt at her. "Who's the one calling _us_ old? Hag!"

"But _I'm_ not the one looking over new meat!" she hissed, throwing a handful back at him.

"Enough of this stupid subject," Kid huffed, elbows on knees. He looked back at Law with a sullen expression. "Tell us about the base. What did you find?"

Law frowned at the flames. They could hear the yapping of coyotes in the distance, and it was an uncomfortably eerie sound. He knew that they were smaller than wolves – but it was troublesome to hear that they were 'smarter'. Considering how the wolves actively banded together to hunt him in the city, he wondered just what coyotes were capable of. The chittering of the ghosts weren't comforting – Perona didn't know how to 'shut them up'. Their brains were physically dead, but the sparks of stirring synapses ready to respond to her command continued to operate, so it was unnerving to think that the dead were trying to speak to them or to each other.

"Just that every bit of information on us was unavailable, and suggested that it may have been terminated before the bombing hit," he said slowly. "All that remained was the base's paperwork surrounding its basic operations."

"But those guys killed each other," Kid confirmed.

"One shot himself, Cora shot Sengokou and himself."

"Was it made to look that way?"

"It looked real to me."

"Why would he shoot someone that he respected?" Kid asked on a bewildered tone. "Unless they knew they were going to die, anyway."

Law shrugged. "Cora's notes suggested that ' _they'_ knew what was happening on the base. They knew of us, and it was a failed project because we were considered unstable. I understood that they felt we would eventually turn on them."

"But they knew how to control us," Kid mumbled. "So it wouldn't have been that hard of a matter to deal with. _Yeah_ they could lose us, but I'm sure they would be able to find us again."

"Maybe someone higher than them felt that this was an unacceptable event. They created us, they ran us through multiple tests. They could recreate other subjects with what the results they found, forge others into obedient lemmings."

"There's that…but even if, why save us?"

Law shrugged again, curling arms over his knees to rest his forehead against them. "Maybe there was the thought that we'd change if we were free."

Perona snorted. "I doubt it. We have near unlimited power at our hands. Why conform upon _their_ command when we can do what we want?"

"Back then," Luffy muttered bitterly, glaring at the fire. "Out here, we're helpless and I hate that."

"You keep thinking that way, and you're going to die that way," Kid told him. "Once I get to where I wanna be, I'm going to be fine."

"Yeah, but _how_? We can't even make it out of a sandpit without those guys! And they know it!"

"They wouldn't leave us," Perona assured Luffy. "Because they have hearts."

"Weirdly."

" _Stupidly_ ," Kid huffed. "They chose to release us upon the premise that we'd conform to their standards, and we didn't. Now we are where we are. How do we know this wasn't a plot to abandon us in the first place?"

"No," Ussop denied, shaking his head. "It wasn't. Sanji was determined to get you on that ferry away from this island. From there, you'd be on your own."

"He also plotted against us to get us away from the colony," Law spat.

"Uh oh," Kid smirked at him. "Trouble in paradise already?"

"Fuck off."

" _You_!"

"But they have nowhere to go, either," Perona cut in. "And Zoro doesn't want to be treated as a thing, anymore. He'll follow us. He's been stepping in line with us this entire time!"

"Which is cool as hell, because he has opportunities to explore!" Kid insisted. "He can be a part of us!"

"What's going to happen to Sanji, then?" Luffy asked with uncertainty.

"Another one obsessed with that guy! Am I the _only_ one not obsessed with him?" Kid cried in exasperation.

"He makes the food! You should!"

"I could care less about his food," Kid muttered. "It was crap, anyway. I lost over fifteen pounds, I can feel it! Giving me all that vegan health shit like I can survive that way…I need more meat, more protein! These marauders had it better, their food was the bomb dot com!"

"Then go run away with them, then! You're just mad at Sanji because he's Zoro's friend, so you're jealous."

" _Ooh_ ," Law and Perona uttered, looking at Kid for a reaction. Kid reddened, glaring at Luffy, who glared back defiantly.

"You need to be grateful for what you have, Kid, otherwise you're going to find yourself missing it when it counts," Luffy continued. "That guy didn't have to help us, but he did. And he stepped in for us every time someone thought they had something to say, and fed us whenever we went to his house, so you need to be more appreciative. Stop saying all these bad things about him."

"You got some competition, Law," Kid told the other man. "Doesn't that piss you off?"

" _Ugh_ ," Perona heaved, rolling her eyes as Luffy gave Kid a puzzled look.

Ussop shook his head out of embarrassment. "Bejabbers, you guys _know_ that he's gonna leave you when we bring ya'll to the ferry? He don't want to leave the island."

"He doesn't have a choice in the matter," Luffy told him. "The only reason why he wants to stay is because he thinks people won't like him. There's a bigger world out there he needs to explore."

"Still…"

" _Enough_ about him! We can't even talk a subject without him in the way! As I was saying about the base," Kid spoke over them, "we should leave that subject behind. Nothing we can do about the ending, it's time for a new beginning."

"If you're comfortable leaving a thread like that," Law muttered.

"I am! There's nothing more to come from that! That era is dead, Law. Ain't anything we can do to change it!"

"If someone knew that we'd survived," Law said slowly, "if ' _they'_ knew that we'd somehow survived, could there be trouble in the future because of it? We should know who our enemies are – we should know who 'they' were."

" _We don't need to_!" Kid cried out in exasperation, unable to understand his level of suspicion. "Because everyone relevant to that cause died that day! Including our own people!"

"Yet, Robin had mentioned that those who had built safety bunkers in anticipation of the nuclear war had survived to carry-on with thriving colonies, today. Sanji mentioned that his was based upon a science thriving environment – he and his siblings were experimented upon to take on animal qualities similar to Zoro's. If his was part of that year's survival, then they could potentially hold answers as to who 'they' were."

Kid looked at Law for several long moments. He uttered between gritted teeth, " _I_. _Don't_. _Care_. Bring it on! There's _nothing_ people in this time here can do to us! We're the _strongest_ out here!"

At the nearby sound of a coyote howling, several others rising in succession, all of them froze. Then they threw anxious glances around them, listening to the ghostly howls as the animals seem to draw nearer to them. Perona tapped her fingers against her lips anxiously.

"Coyotes are scavengers, right?" she whispered. "They can't be that scary."

"I just think that none of you are even considering the circumstances that could be our downfall," Law muttered. "If they knew of us, then they were aware of what we were capable of. In turn, they could be prepared for us because they've already understood the information on us."

" _Yeah right_!" Kid cried with exasperation, rolling his eyes. "C'mon, listen to yourself! Two hundred years ago they knew we existed, but the place was bombed to hell! The fallout would prevent anyone from investigating the place right then and there, and of course they'd have assumed we'd died! The bunker wasn't discovered until Ussop here found it, which meant that anything on us wasn't found! The entire base is missing, there's no way anything could have been found on it!"

"So why was Robin so knowledgeable in the base's circumstances? Why did she conveniently have information to share with us regarding our state of affairs?"

"Because she's an _archeologist_! They do that shit!"

Law gave him an exasperated look, and looked off to the right, mumbling, " _Imbecile_."

Kid made to throw dirt at him when a coyote's chatter startled him – it was too close, and they all saw a flash of green to their left as the animal hastily took to the shadows. The unnerving silence that followed made the air hang heavily around them – so silent that it allowed them to hear moving steps in the sand.

"They're surrounding us, we better find some shelter," Ussop said reluctantly. "I know they ain't big, but they clever."

"My ghosts will protect us," Perona said, leaning back on her palms. "I've nothing to worry about."

"They'll scatter when Zoro comes back," Kid said confidently.

" _If_ ," Law reminded him snidely. Kid narrowed his eyes, finger raised when falling sand behind him caused him to jump, looking up just in time to see a Great Dane sized animal hastily take cover behind a shadowy mound.

"They're _not_ small," he reported gravely.

"If we sleep in the truck, it should be fine," Ussop suggested nervously, standing and brushing off his overalls.

"If they're that big, I wonder how big moose are!" Luffy asked brightly, standing. "They were humongous already! I bet they're all tall like dinosaurs! I want to ride one. Hey, Ussop, do they have moose around here?"

"I don't know what that is," Ussop admitted, climbing into the truck.

"When they do return, it won't be right away," Law said reluctantly, rising from the dirt. "Shotgun."

"NO WAY! It's my turn!" Perona cried, stomping a foot. But when the older man climbed into the vehicle, he shut and locked the door with a petulant expression, so she grumbled as she followed after Luffy into the back seat. With a glance around himself, Kid sighed heavily. There were now shadows moving just out of the fire light, and while he wasn't really that knowledgeable about coyotes, if they were anything like the wolves, he didn't feel like finding out what they were like. He climbed into the driver's side, yanking down Sanji's jeans from the window. He closed the door with a grumble as everyone settled for uncomfortable sleeping positions.

Sitting stiffly in the back bench seat, Ussop thought how ironic it was that four superpowered humans weren't even going to bother challenging the wilderness or its inhabitants. After all their talk and bluster, he expected them to make a bigger show of standing their ground.

: :

The next day was spent with him exhausting himself by keeping Luffy away from the remaining food and rationing out the water. All of them were already stir-crazy, anxiously scanning the horizon for Zoro's return. With the presence of Perona's ghosts, it was unnerving how silent and still the area was – dirt began to build up around the truck, and Law and Kid fought each other over every little thing. It frayed on Ussop's nerves. Kid busied himself taking apart the crushed car for available parts while Law sabotaged him when his back was turned. It was a subtle effort of removing pieces and flinging them in various directions, but Ussop tried not to be present when Kid finally started to notice.

He wanted to leave, his stomach grumbling noisily with an aching absence, but he knew if he left he'd then return to no water and the group killing each other. Not that he minded the latter, but he started to see why Sanji kept referring to them as 'kids' – they were grown, adult children with the minds of savagery, but helpless to every other condition that made sense to Ussop. It took him awhile to convince Perona to wear some clothing, for Law to _remove_ clothing, and how to apply aloe to sunburns when Kid finally noticed that his chest, neck and face were competing for color domination. Luffy was trying to eat everything he could find, including a sand spider he'd caught. But eating it mostly raw ended up giving him an upset stomach. The leaves he'd tried to use to wipe from a nearby brush had left him with thorns, and no one was trying to help him. He ended up taking a bed space underneath the truck, miserable and without pants. He was throwing up and uneasy, and all Ussop could do was give him more water.

When night fell, Ussop was sluggishly handing out the very last of the food packet he'd hidden away from Luffy, all of them grumbling with immense discomfort. The lack of light from the moon was troublesome, and the coyotes were venturing in closer. Ussop scanned the horizon, missing his nightvision goggles. He'd searched the battle scenes for some useful items and had returned with ammo for his rifle, but nothing more.

He cupped his hands around his mouth and mimicked one of Zoro's barks. The coyotes yelped and barked in response, and Ussop decided he couldn't do it anymore, afraid to call in other wolves that might be tempted to investigate. As Perona made a bed in the truck for herself, Kid grumbling as he made his own on the hood, too uncomfortable to lay or sit anywhere, Ussop scanned the horizon once more. He tended to the fire, spotting Luffy looking at him morosely from underneath the truck. Law was seated on the bed of the truck, looking nauseous from heatstroke – Ussop knew the basics of survival, but he was no nurse. He did the best he could to take care of everyone but these people were breaking down, and he would feel it in his conscious if either of them dropped dead all of a sudden.

He wrung his hands anxiously. He didn't agree with their tactics, but they were still _people_.

Coyotes suddenly barked and yelped, crying out noisily. Several of them scattered off to the side, ears and tails lowered as they made a hasty getaway. Heart thundering noisily, Ussop snatched his rifle, gazing fearfully into that direction. He could only imagine what could have set the animals off, and hastily made his way to the truck.

"If Zoro is still in beast form, he ain't gonna recognize us as friendlies," he said to the others, hastily helping Luffy out from underneath the truck.

"Fuck it," Law said with a slight slur. "If I die, I die, shit on my ashes if you want."

"I'm not about to have anyone touch me," Kid grumbled as he rolled off from the hood, wincing with every movement. He had his arms out, not wanting his skin rubbed upon by the loose shirt he wore. He climbed stiffly into the truck as Ussop helped Luffy onto the passenger side seat. Ussop grabbed Sanji's abandoned clothing and threw it at Law from the passenger side. Then he shut the doors and windows while Perona grumbled about the heady scent of smells that were now trapped inside.

Ussop then watched out the window anxiously. It took a few minutes but the large size of the beast came into view. Zoro headed immediately to the fire, something hanging from his mouth. Ussop thought that it was one of the coyotes, already ripped to pieces. The beast examined the fire as he sat back on his haunches with a hard flounce. Ussop squinted as the beast rolled about in the dirt, probably in an effort to cool himself down.

A shrill shriek rose up from the air, and that thing in his mouth wiggled frantically until Zoro spit it out. The sight of a very disheveled and battered fennec fox came into view, staggering away from the fire before collapsing into the dirt with a gusty sigh.

" _Sanji_!" Ussop cried, Zoro immediately rearing up with a ferocious bark, looking in the direction of the truck. He charged, all of them crying out with fear as the entire vehicle shifted several feet to the side. Metal crumbled under the beast's hands, and sharp teeth slammed up against the window. Ussop shrieked, hearing Luffy and Perona echo him while Kid cursed the air blue upon the violent movement, rocked in his seat.

The fennec fox shrilled with impatient barks and screeches, Zoro stopping suddenly. He released the truck, turning away with a grunt and grumble, looking down at the much smaller beast glaring up at him. The fox put in half hearted bites at his passing ankles, snarling and snapping at him in a show of exasperation before sprawling back down in the dirt. The beast circled around him and the fire a few times, eying the truck with distrust and suspicion, teeth showing. Warning growls vibrated from his thick chest before the fox barked at him again – it was quite comical how unevenly paired the two were, how much power the smaller being had over the much larger beast.

With a grumble, Zoro flopped down onto the dirt, tail slapping with impatience while the fox's swept over the surface with stern impatience. Both of them were clearly too tired to argue with each other, the beast turning onto his back once again to wiggle about in the cool dirt while the fox sprawled bonelessly into a sleeping position. After a few moments both were still, clearly exhausted.

The beast eventually shriveled and reformed into the man, Zoro heaving out a tired sigh. Ussop quickly left the truck, gathering up his clothes.

"You found him!" he exclaimed cheerfully, dropping the pile atop of his chest.

Zoro lifted his head to frown up at him, clearly in no memory of what had happened. He looked over at the animal sleeping nearby, then shrugged as he clumsily separated his clothes to re-dress. "I guess so."

"Bejabbers, I thought you guys were goners for sure!" Ussop said, bending and picking Sanji up. The fox snarled at him, but didn't put any effort into it as Ussop looked him over with a click of his tongue. "You fighting anything with teeth, eh? Dumb animal…you lucky you didn't die, you beardsplitter."

"Don't ask me any questions, cuz I don't know," Zoro mumbled, resettling into the dirt on his back. It didn't take long for him to start snoring, the others cautiously easing out of the truck.

" _Finally_!" Luffy cried joyfully, walking to Ussop in an awkward gait, unashamed of his lack of clothing. "Sanji! Thank God! We're all starving!"

The fox grumbled, limp as a noodle in Ussop's hands so Luffy grabbed him, shaking him impatiently. The animal snarled and bit him, Luffy crying out with surprise as he released him. Baring his teeth at them, Sanji stumbled over towards Zoro and dropped back into prone position with another sigh.

"He needs some rest," Ussop said with a sigh, Luffy's frown pulling over his jaw. "In the morning, I'm sure he'll be up to help us."

"Can everyone just shut up and calm down, now?" Perona asked impatiently from the truck's back seat. She watched as Kid climbed back onto the hood, sprawling there with some discomforted noises. She didn't know where Law was, looking into the back to find him missing.

Eventually, with the sounds of the coyotes further away than they were earlier, they all resettled into their respective claimed spaces. It seemed easier to sleep outside of the vehicle than it did last night – all of them counting on the pair to watch over them. Once again, Ussop thought it was ironic that the quartet easily felt safe with the pair's presence.

 _Just like kids_ , he thought scornfully, not daring to say it out loud.

In the morning, Luffy was the first to wake up. He eased out from underneath the truck, and grasped the sleeping fox from the ground. Sanji awoke with a startled bark, then erupted into shrill noises that woke everyone up.

"We've got a big day ahead of us," Luffy told him, holding him awkwardly away from him as the fox squirmed. "So change back!"

The sun was crawling up into the sky, the heat already making itself obvious. Ussop stretched and groaned, every limb protesting from the cramped seat he'd taken in the truck. He crawled out, seeing Kid sitting up sluggishly – his face was extremely swollen and red. His bloodshot eyes were barely visible as slits, and Ussop winced at the sight of him. He checked on Law, who looked as if he hadn't slept a wink all night. He looked as if he were close to vomiting, dangerously pale as his skin shimmered with a light sweat.

Perona shrieked so shrilly that the area rung with it, everyone startled out of their own skin. She hung out the window, giving a heaving sob. With her hands pressed against her stomach, Ussop thought she'd somehow contracted an unhealthy disease of some sort.

"Help me, it hurts!" she cried before reverting to a snarling rage, kicking at the door and pounding on the seats.

"Oh, god, is it that time already?" Ussop heard Kid mumble.

"You'll attract sharks and bears, and we'll all die," Law muttered ominously, heavy eyelids closed.

"What time is it? _Breakfast_?" Luffy cried joyously.

"Are you okay?" Ussop asked her cautiously, taking Sanji from Luffy's extended hands as he waved the fox about. He petted him nervously, the fox snapping at his hands in response.

"NO! No, I'm not 'okay'!" Perona snapped at him, her face red. "I'm not moving from here unless it's to take a bath! All of you have to serve me, because I'm not doing a thing!"

"You're supposed to plan ahead! No one's serving you anything!" Kid snapped painfully, wearing a wince as he clamped his mouth shut.

"I _did_ , but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt! Ussop, give me some of those painkillers!" Perona then demanded. "That's what it's for, right? _Pain_? I'm in extreme amounts of it!"

"Why?" he asked dumbly, setting Sanji onto the ground. The fox hurried off, sniffing around the truck until he found some of his clothes discarded around the truck. He shifted back into human form as Perona snarled. Zoro had only rolled over onto his side, resuming his snores.

"I have my fucking _period_ , Ussop," Perona snapped at him. "It's what happens when you're a goddamn girl!"

Ussop gave her a blank look, Luffy mimicking the expression. She gave a sweeping shriek of aggravation and slumped back down into the truck.

"I feel like I walked into somethin' messy," Sanji said with a bewildered look, giving Luffy an aghast expression. He wore fading cuts and bruises, his face marred by light injuries. The limp he seemed to be moving with was faint, but Ussop knew he'd be fine as his body continued to heal. He was already lighting up a cigarette, breathing in with relief as smoke curled up into the air. "Why are you walking around with no pants? What's wrong with his face? An' are you dying?"

"Sanji, I did everything I could but it wasn't enough," Ussop said as Luffy looked down at himself with question, Kid grumbled, and Law started to snore. "They're _dying_ at my feet! He's sunburnt, _he's_ got heatstroke, this one's got needles in his ass from wipin' with the wrong leaf! And _she_ said somethin' about a period, but I'm gonna _comma_ back to that one."

He snickered at his own joke while Sanji sorted this out, belting up his pants. He looked back at Zoro then around the camp, truck and area with disgust. He nervously looked at the ghosts standing stiffly around them. He rubbed his forehead with aggravation while everyone looked at him expectantly, waiting for direction.

"There's a creek five miles north of here," he said as he exhaled slowly around his cigarette. "Smelled it as we passed by. We're going there. Grab one of them barrels – I ain't smelling any food, we can find some there. If you got anything for traps, grab it."

"I ain't walking five fuckin' miles for some damn water!" Kid snapped painfully.

"Then stay here! Ain't going anywhere with that attitude!" Sanji snapped back at him, walking over to Zoro to kick him awake. "Get up! Slap a barrel on your back, make yourself useful! Wake up that useless meater, ain't no one sleeping while we're done and out. How could you all fall apart like this? Comin' out here with nothin' – I told you over and over this was gonna be difficult, and ya'll still wanna push things!"

"My ass hurts, Sanji, I can't walk," Luffy whimpered piteously.

"Then ya should've paid attention to what you were doing in the first place! Where's my pack, at?"

"So, what, we trust you to do what these two couldn't do?" Kid snapped incredulously.

"I can do what I can do, they can do what I can't do. And they kept you alive this long, right?" Sanji retorted. "It was your own choices that put you in that bad spot, gibface. No one told you to wear – _whatever_ it was you wore to get burnt! No one told Luffy to eat that thing! No one encouraged that creeper to wear all the clothes he got! All this your own choices – the three of us just tryin' to clean it up after you."

Because it made sense, Kid scowled. It absolutely _killed_ him to see Law smirking at him from a distance away, so Kid tried force-choking him once more. Unamused by the gesture, Sanji slapped his hand down and barked at Zoro to wake up.

Nearly an hour later, the sight of the creek was relief to many eyes. It meandered through a rocky crack in the earth, surrounded by meager trees, brush and broken branches caused by long ago flooding. It was something they would have never seen from their position in the canyon – it streamed away from that area, twisting and turning back up towards some rocky cliffsides that opened up to the mountains beyond that. The waist deep water pushed along rocks that had settled along the shore, giving it a pretty but unforgiving appearance. The fire seemed to have completely missed the area, which was a puzzling sight considering how the fire had ravaged everything else down below. Kid looked back behind him, the sloping design of the area allowing him to see well beyond their previous camp and into the distance, which seemed like a flat, unforgiving plain that would have taken them deep into no-where. This area moved upwards and seemed to resettle into another plain, but well beyond that were tall cliff walls that eventually opened to a blackened scar amongst high mountain sides. He wondered what state they were in if the bombs had allowed a whole shelf of the continent to fall astray of the original mainland.

Sanji tossed Luffy in after allowing him to ride piggy-back, ignoring his pained shriek. Perona immediately waded into the water, giving a cry of joy as she tossed her clothes off. Sanji looked at her with a shocked expression, momentarily amazed at the sight of a naked female body before Ussop slapped him soundly. Law dropped into the creek with a groan of relief while Kid tested the water's edge with a finger. It amazed Sanji moments later when three of them began to drown, flailing in panic as they realized they couldn't swim.

" _Idiots_!" Kid snapped at all of them, watching the three thrash wildly, forcing the other three to hurriedly rescue them. He looked upstream, furrowing a deep red brow. "This ain't from the mountain – it's _sea_ water."

"It cuts across the island," Ussop said, pulling Perona to shore with an averted face. She coughed and sputtered, and he hastily covered her with one of her discarded dresses. "It's part of the map."

" _What_ map?"

Ussop sheepishly answered, "The one I had in my bag. I remember it because it cuts through the mountains, there, but it ain't connect with freshwater…why do you guys hate water?"

"The sea water does something to us," Kid muttered. He looked upstream, trying to picture the sight from above. It confused him when Ussop explained that it was sea water that cut through the island. Then there was a main thread of sea water cutting through the island up from their location – which made him curious to see the sea beyond the mountains. "Those cuffs and walls that had us restrained? Takes our abilities away from us. I'm not even sure where that stuff comes from, but any type of salty water has to be avoided. You could have killed us, fox! Why should we trust you?"

"If you had said anything like that to me before, I would have been more aware of it. Stop dying, unless you wanna make me kill you," Sanji then threated Luffy, using a foot to knock against his back to stop his hacking. He looked over the others, seeing that they were weakened, barely holding themselves up. He shook his head incredulously as Zoro yawned noisily, dropping the water barrel down nearby.

Looking around the area, he nodded. "This looks good. We'll make camp here."

"I need to fix that truck to get us anywhere," Kid told Zoro impatiently. "So making camp here is useless."

"We're gonna camp here because there's food available, and we need this water source. We follow north along that ridge, we'll reach the ferry," Sanji told him as he lit up another cigarette. "So if you want that truck fixed, you're on your own. Ain't gonna waste my time arguing with you."

Kid glowered at him then looked to the others. They looked relieved that someone had taken command, but he wanted to rebel because it felt wrong to allow someone like Sanji to say anything. It irritated him more than the sunburn to see that Zoro was going along with it. He growled low with frustration – even if he hated the role, seeing that Sanji knew what to do and was already forcefully prodding the others into obeying his command for their survival told him he would be the only one protesting. It wouldn't work to his advantage in any way to go against it, considering how hard of a time they'd already had these past few days.

In half an hour, the fox had finished plucking all the needles from Luffy's ass and was forcefully making him wash up in the creek. Zoro filled up the barrel from upstream, and as tempting as it was watching the wolf wade shirtless about in water, Kid focused on the present.

After making sure Luffy was drying off, Sanji sat down and sorted through containers he'd brought with him that Ussop had saved from yesterday. Once he found a specific root, he finely shredded that into a lid, creating a paste out of a nearby bush with sharp, green leaves that Luffy had tried to eat the day before. Kid was glaring downstream as Perona bathed safely, so when Sanji approached him with paste coated fingers, it alarmed him when the fox coated his face with it.

He snarled, reacting with swinging arms that Sanji deftly avoided and kicked him to crumple down onto the dirt. Strangely, the paste smeared onto his forehead started to cool the skin, and it caused Kid to pause in his assault. Once he saw that he had Kid's satisfaction, Sanji tossed the concoction at him. "Use that – then find clothes that ain't gonna do that again. Dumb red mop."

Kid glared at the concoction in his hand, watching as Sanji wrapped water soaked clothing around Law's head and shoulders, snarling at him for wearing such dark clothes in the hot sun. He kicked him aside and sweetly asked Perona how she was doing. It pissed Kid off how compliant everyone was around this fox – who had no control over himself during the full moon. Kid wasn't sure how that worked, considering how Law had kept tight hold of him the first time, but he understood that it was a shameful process. He didn't like how decisions were made _about_ him, he didn't like how Law made choices _regarding_ him, and he hated how the other two _depended_ on him anyway. He didn't like the way Zoro worked so easily with him – he hated seeing the two talk with each other normally, as if Zoro hadn't made the choice to betray him to walk with them.

While it made sense to fixate his current frustration and agitation on Sanji alone, it was only because he understood that he couldn't _do this_ on his own. None of them could. These past few days were a true indication of that. It felt like a blow to the ego that he had to acknowledge this. As easily as he'd handled the marauders, he couldn't handle the absolute wilderness without hanging onto someone else's shirt to do so.

He didn't want to be this weak again. So instead of striding back to the truck, he took quiet notes of the things Sanji was doing, to use for himself for another day.

When the afternoon sun came up, Zoro and Sanji had constructed a basic shelter against some taller aloe bushes, and had built a small fire to make a soup with. Zoro and Ussop rummaged through the rocks in the creek to pull up lobster-like creatures Kid had never seen before, their red pincers flailing against the open air. Luffy hung over all of them, unable to get into the water but wanting to be as close to the action as possible. These things Sanji tossed into a boiling pot of hot water, the four watching the creatures boil alive. All of their faces reflected horror as the three happily rejoiced in the ability to eat them.

In the end, Perona, Law and Kid refused to eat them but Luffy crammed as much as he could into his mouth. Sanji admonished the trio for not taking the opportunity to partake in this rare dish, but none of them could get the nerve to eat them after what they'd seen happen to the small creatures. Which only caused him to scoff and mock them for their earlier declarations of not caring about the little things – earning scowls in response.

But instead of making them starve, Sanji stalked up and down the creek, finding valuable roots, nuts and eggs from nearby nests to add to it, tossing Luffy an occasional treat to keep the kid satisfied. Ussop had managed to shoot down some of the birds that squawked noisily around their suddenly empty nests, so Kid watched as Sanji quickly de-feathered them and added pieces of their breast to a heated rock to cook. He roasted the legs and popped out the eyes, sprinkling them with some seasoning he'd packed – disgusted at first, Luffy was the first to try it but he ended up eating it all, sucking the limbs clean and declaring the eyes as tasting like 'gummy vitamins'. As intrigued as he was, Kid wasn't about to try it for himself, but he made note to do it under extreme circumstances. The feathers Sanji cleaned and packed away, roasting the wings over the fire to envious perfection. It wasn't chicken, it didn't taste like chicken, but it was better than what they'd had over the past few days.

Kid ate with angry tears in his eyes, hating to admit that he was amazed at how much resource was available around them; invisible until Sanji found it. He even had enough to pack away for later, which settled all of them considerably.

Perona was treated like a queen – instructed to sit back and relax, her every needs tended to despite her annoying whines. Her ghosts stood on alert nearby, making the wildlife nervous, but giving Ussop every opportunity to take down what he needed to help provide for the others. It aggravated Kid how much smoother things were for them, now. He seethed, occasionally replacing the paste when the cooling effects warmed up and dried over his sun-sensitive skin.

By the time night came around, their shelter was expanded so that all of them could lay together underneath a canopy that would protect them from the birds' overhead and shield them from view if they were spotted by other people. Ussop made a bed was made out of the cool, smooth dirt, layering it with large leaves and the feathers Sanji had plucked that provided some degree of warmth. All of their things were packed and easy to retrieve in the event that they had to leave hastily – Zoro nixed the idea of a campfire, not wanting to be easily spotted when they were already in the near open, so the action of all of them laying down together to share warmth was both uncomfortable and yet comforting against the noisy backdrop of the wilderness around them.

Kid scowled at the night sky as the quiet voices of the others settling for the night told him just how calm and peaceful things now were. Through the voices of Luffy pointing out the constellations and Ussop's questions, Perona's quiet crying over her discomfort and Zoro's snores, Kid heard Sanji telling Law to listen for anything that made a dragging sound.

He focused on that because it was vital to know what was so important about that particular sound.

"I don't want to," he heard Law say stubbornly. "I'm going to sleep."

"You'll do it, because you _don't_ sleep! If it sounds like it's dragging, and there's a clickin' noise with it, you'll wake me up first."

" _Why_?"

"Don't ask me 'why'! Don't be a ninny about it, it depends on our life!"

"Feh. Given like that, it's apparent you want to be the first one to escape if it happens to be a spider – _ow_!"

"Next one will knock your fool head right off if you keep that up!" Sanji then huffed, taking off his boots and nudging Ussop closer to Luffy. "I'm taking shape – I hear better that way. You all have abilities that can work in an instant, so when I give an alarm, _react_. I only ask that of you because I don't hear _that_ in time."

"Then stay human - _don't_ change shape when I'm talking to you – !" Kid heard Law give a frustrated sound, a fox's bark ringing out ferociously in response. Kid lifted his head a little to see Sanji curling up on Ussop's chest, nose resting within the depths of his own fuzzy tail, ignoring Law's indignant sputter. He caught sight of the man glaring at the animal while Ussop laid stiffly, hands rested over his stomach.

For the first time, Kid realized that in all the time he'd known the group, it was Sanji that knew exactly what he had to do and did it regardless of the circumstances around him; and the others followed him because they could depend on him to carry the task out. The three of them had certain strengths and weaknesses, and they easily worked together to create success of it. It seemed to easier to work together than the quartet did fighting each other with separate agendas.

It irritated Kid as it struck him for the first time that perhaps he couldn't live this way alone like he'd wanted to. He would have to depend on others, and have others depend on him. Which fought with his pride and ego – he wasn't trained to depend on the other three. But they all had depended on the Marines to take care of all the menial tasks for them. He couldn't operate on an individual level – not yet. So he hated to admit it, but Law had been right when he'd insisted that they adapted to this world first before venturing out here.

Hours later, as the group slept, Law glared out at the darkness. It absolutely bugged him that every little sound made him jumpy – he couldn't see a thing and being so exposed left him with no inclination to sleep. There was a light wind that rustled through the meager leaves around them, and something seemed to purr as it moved just beyond the lightly chittering undead that stood stiffly around them. His mind felt like it was dissolving the longer he stayed out here – he hated to admit it, but he was a mess. Without any order of civilization, he felt like he was completely out of his element. Using the toilet out in the open was just as unnerving as using it in front of the Marines; watching food being dressed and cooked right in front of him made his stomach churn; being without a reliable shelter made him feel lost. Without the conveniences he was used to, he felt like he was floundering – the others were in the same state, fumbling behind the trio like lost puppies, jumping eagerly at a chance for attention. He didn't like the feeling – he felt more helpless than he did before; like he didn't have a choice in anything.

He turned to look at the others, annoyed at how easily they slept. He was over the heatstroke incident, but the nighttime chill still prompted them to all wearing some form of cloak or cape. He looked down at the fox sleeping easily atop of Ussop's chest, Ussop snoring lightly as his hands rested tightly at his sides. He rose from his end, snatching up the animal and closing his fingers around his snout before Sanji could eke a sound. The fox made muffled snarls and wiggled around ferociously as Law stalked away from the camp, aiming for the area just beyond the aloe plants and tamaracks that decorated the creek walls.

They'd come here earlier, looking for stuff for the soup they'd eaten – which was tremendously appreciated and welcome after days of eating next to nothing – and he sat down on a flat rock that overlooked the bubbling creek. He released Sanji's mouth, setting him firmly on the rock aside of him. The fox growled at him crossly, tail swishing around like a feather duster.

"Change back," Law ordered him, in an equally cranky tone. He removed his cape, wearing only the tunic underneath, weathering the chill just for Sanji to do so. After some glaring, the fox shifted shape, taking the cape from him.

As he pulled it around himself, Law said, "Your trickery wasn't appreciated. Clearly, we're not ready for this venture."

"That's your own choice," Sanji replied, rubbing at his eyes. "I wasn't expecting you to actually follow through."

"You gave us no choice!"

"If that's what you think, then you're not ready for anything else," Sanji huffed. "Ya'll can't even come together for a single trip out the walls, you were already on the verge of death at your own hands!"

"I insisted on _staying_ – "

"But you weren't cooperating with Iceburg's orders! So what made you think that you'd continue to live in peace there? If it weren't one thing, it'd be another. Being that I…was the main cause, if'n I removed myself, then there weren't be no more trouble."

"Why is it Zoro can carry a better sentence structure than you?"

"Oh, stuff it in your saucebox…"

Law stubbornly glared at him as he huffed, looking away from them to scan the area for any sign of potential dangers. It was hotly irritating how Law felt so many different things for another man like this one. There was a mixture of relief, happiness and yet unidentifiable dark feelings that made him think of Sanji's behavior when he'd first met him. Thinking about others that were drawn to do those ugly things he'd witnessed happening, and it filled him with certain trepidation about even saying anything. How to express them, how to sort them out and how to even identify them correctly caused him to feel exceedingly grumpy.

Sanji looked at him, his entire face scowling darkly once he realized the hard stare. He pushed a palm against that face to interrupt it. "Don't look at me that way."

"Were you an animal the whole time?" Law asked, shoving his hand away. His skin burned pleasantly where Sanji had touched him. He wanted more of it, if only to be touched by him. It truly mystified him how he could feel this way.

" _Yes_!" Sanji answered touchily, looking down at his hands. His brow furrowed. "What it matter, anyway?"

"What do animals do in that state?"

Sanji gave him an impatient look. "I came back full of teeth holes, what you think? Asides that, actin' like you're laying claim on me is another stupid choice of yours."

"It's not 'laying claim' - !"

"You're such a _meater_ ," Sanji muttered with exasperation, pulling the cape tightly around him, wiggling on the rock with discomfort. He wasn't even sure if he wanted Law to actually confess – it was easier leaving him to flounder in his obvious feelings than to actually hear it. He didn't know why he kept pushing it. "You act like you don't know what you're doing, and I get all poked up for you."

"What do those words even mean?" Law asked with exasperation, reaching for his hair. It was greasy and uncomfortably heavy, so he understood why Perona wanted a bath wherever she went.

"First off," Sanji said slowly, "even if it were to mean all that, you're wrong for it. It's like you a duckling, imprinting on the first thing that moves. When you move on, there's more'n the world for you."

"We're going to your birth place, so it makes sense that you're there, also."

"I ain't going back there. No reason. You go on your own. Hopefully you learn a few things between."

"We'd already come to an agreement, all of us. When we go, you go with us. It doesn't make sense that you'd stay back – "

"Taking me to a crowded place while I gots no control over my actions during every full moon? _Bejabbers_ \- !"

"I already told you how I can stop it – "

"You get your rocks off like that, then? Doing to others what's been done to you?" Sanji retorted, standing. "None of you ain't changing for the better, I see that now."

Law reached out and grabbed his arm tightly. "Don't you dare change - !"

He growled as he held the fox by its paw, the animal snarling and biting at him before he released it. The animal glared up at him, tail still moving with irritation. Law stood from the rock, feeling edgy and angry, frustrated by the lack of satisfaction from this moment. He crossed his arms stiffly, snapping, "You can't carry a fucking conversation, you keep leaving it!"

The fox barked at him, sitting for a moment then standing with a series of angry noises. His big ears twitched restlessly before he sat, baring his teeth.

"Change back!" When the fox growled at him, Law regarded the darkness around them with impatience. He muttered bitterly, "For all your actions, you're a fucking coward."

The fox snarled at him, jumping onto the rock in an attempt to bite him. But then he quickly scuttled away, darting around the area with a series of noises that made the birds overhead take notice. He jumped down and hid underneath the jutting ridge of it, growling low.

Seeing that Sanji wasn't willing to continue the conversation, Law gave up with frustration evident on his features. He turned and headed back to the others, Sanji watching him go. He laid there for awhile, thinking about what had transpired. He was very certain Law didn't know what he was doing, what he wanted, and that the older man was sure to find what he was looking for later on during his travels. Sanji acknowledged that right now, Law relied on him for basic needs. He was only attached to Sanji for these things – if they continued together with the group, Sanji's full moon changes were going to further trouble Law, and his methods weren't exactly something Sanji wanted. The older man would grow tired of it and toss him aside, just like everyone else.

Why couldn't that man see this? Filled with frustration and irritability, Sanji stayed there until he was sure enough time had passed where Law wouldn't push the issue any further for the rest of the night. He returned to the group from the other side, and curled up next to Zoro, instead. He knew that he'd lose the wolf's closeness as well, and it filled him with such turmoil that he whined lightly before curling up to sleep.

The next morning, they woke up to the sounds of rushing movement. Zoro was immediately on his feet, gathering up supplies that they'd packed the night before – he slung on the water barrel, bellowing at them to get up and get moving. Ussop scrambled to his feet after pulling on his and Sanji's backpacks, Sanji curling around his neck as the quartet were up and moving. A herd of deer was moving fast through the area, standing taller than any deer they'd seen in books – their panicked eyes and pants told the humans that they weren't in fear of them, but running from something bigger.

Luffy climbed one of the trees, Kid scrambling and ducking behind the aloe bush. Law uplifted a part of the ground at their feet and formed a barrier that the others ducked behind. The deer jumped and scrambled over it, crashing onto the creek. Zoro hastily took cover against a part of the creek wall, the deer flying over him as they jumped over.

Hastily, Perona crouched to take care of business, Ussop slapping hands over his eyes in horror. Once she was finished, she straightened her dress, and reached out to slap a couple of the fleeing animals with a victorious cry. Their bodies staggered, eking terrible croaking cries as their eyes rolled back; but they stood still under her command as the last of the herd continued running through the desert. Left in the lingering silence, the group waited to hear of the thing chasing them.

Kid rose, uncovering his head to peer through the small stance of trees, noting that Zoro had swords in hand and Ussop had his rifle up. They could see nothing, but the intense silence was unnerving. With a huff he walked out from the bush, putting himself into the open.

"There ain't anything out here – " he started to say when something zipped by his head, burned close to his hair. He lifted a hand to stop the incoming onslaught of metal, but it whipped by him once more. He ducked behind the others hastily, slapping a hand against his head.

Ussop shivered, Sanji adjusting around his shoulders to cling to him, claws digging into his shirt. "If it ain't bullets…"

" _Run_!" Zoro hollered suddenly, turning and leaping to the other side of the creek with a frantic expression. Ussop hurried after him with a startled shout, the others looking after them with bewilderment. Law scoffed, lowering the section of earth as Luffy blinked after the three with a puzzled expression.

"There should be _nothing_ we should be afraid of out there," Law muttered, looking in the direction Zoro had. Kid nodded in agreement as Perona deftly climbed atop one of her changed deer, calling her babies to her. As the small group of undead staggered towards her, Luffy shielded his eyes with a hand.

"What's that?" he asked on a puzzled tone. All around them came pricks of movement, so he turned to see what it was. He noticed it was only rocks, small pieces of debris that seemed to be flung from the movement ahead of them.

Law turned and began running, wearing a grimace. Kid scoffed after him, unable to place exactly what he was seeing. All he could see was a flowing rush of moving earth, spilling from the hill to their left like a river. Hearing the thunderous approach made his instincts tingle, and he took an uncertain step after the others. Dirty water started to trickle in and fall into the creek, creating a building sound of pouring. Bushes rattled, and trees began to shiver. The ground itself started to shake ominously.

"I'm out of here!" Perona announced, hanging onto the deer's antlers and urging her army after her.

"Why should we run from that? Looks like mud," Luffy said with a clueless expression. Kid shrugged in response, sure that all that they had to do was climb a tree to escape the rush.

"It's a _mudslide_ , you scobberlotchers!" they heard Zoro's far off bellow. "RUN!"


	23. Chapter 23

**Naghi-Tan: It was supposed to end very badly but…it didn't. Because I'm enjoying writing it too much XD Sanji is conflicted – we'll get more into that, here in this chapter! Kid is a very delicate creature that must be handled with care. XD**

 **HS: Kid's a captain and a Supernova for a reason! (God, I wish I had more info on him ; _ ; I'm starting to believe more in the way I write him versus what he must actually be! Hopefully he turns up soon!) Along this misadventure, the group are somewhat learning about themselves and through unfortunate actions. What they had imagined isn't turning out realistically. They might be 'villains' with powers, but they're still so very vulnerable. This will make them think differently of themselves and of their future endeavors. Robin will be showing up soon ;) Her and the two women that disappeared chapters before! Thank you for catching my typos – that's practically the fifth time you pointed that out for that word and I keep doing it! XD I know what I mean, Idk why I keep writing it wrong! I must make a mental note to check for that particular word and make sure it's the right one. Thank you for your comments!**

 **Happy Balon: I swear I'll get to it someday ;_;**

 **Sarge1130: Lol both of them are guilty, and they can't really push it because both of them *know it! XD Their banter never really stops – They really believe they can survive without each other, but everyone outside of their group knows the truth.**

 **: : Twenty Three**

The thunder of the incoming mudslide grew louder. It blasted a path towards them, sending debris ahead of it like bullets. It crashed through the trees and carved a wide river over land that hadn't been touched by the fire, and then opened a line through the combined ash and dust. It obliterated everything in its path, and Kid was frantic as he kept the others in sight. He didn't understand why Law wasn't doing anything to stop it – Kid was absolutely powerless to do a thing without any random metal lying about, and he gave a shout of frustration. Luffy had stretched himself ahead to catch up to the others, yelling breathlessly in panic. Kid saw them suddenly veer off to the right but he was a little confused because there seemed to be a separation in the earth; something that looked ominous and dangerous. He began nearing that direction just to see a massive canyon loomed up at him like a grinning, wide mouth. The others had disappeared from sight and he didn't know what to do, hesitating at the edge with a flail of his arms. The mudslide rumbled right up behind him, dirty water spilling over the edge of the canyon with a rush that made his feet teeter.

"DROP!" he heard Zoro bellow impatiently.

" _Where_?" Kid cried, looking behind him to see boulders being pushed through the moving mass of wet earth.

"I'll catch you!"

Kid couldn't imagine _how_ considering their size composition – but damned if he didn't trust that assurance. He took several hasty breaths and dropped as water changed into thick sheets of mud and debris. It rained over his head like a waterfall as he dropped, heart lurching to his throat and getting stuck there. He whipped his head around to see just how Zoro was going to frigging 'catch him' when he felt strong hands curl around his arm, and his weight and momentum sent him slinging hard to the side. He reached up and grabbed Zoro's wrist as the flood overhead spilled with such force that the canyon wall began to crumble after it.

Zoro yanked him up onto a slender ledge and Kid couldn't quite get his footing yet, so when the wolf adjusted his hold to clutch onto him he wrapped his arms around Kid's chest and held him close. Kid felt a different sort of heat bloom in his sunburnt face and ears, and he almost lost track of thought because despite their different sizes, Zoro was a different sort of warm strength and his grasp was embarrassingly comforting. He was nearly hanging off the ledge, heels digging into whatever bit of space he could find, but he had to rely on Zoro holding onto him in order to stay put. He glanced back to see why this was so, and caught the smirking expressions on both Law's and Perona's faces. Both of them were hugging the cliff edge, Ussop holding onto Luffy with both hands as the boy dangled over the same ledge. Sanji was curled around Ussop's neck, so it wasn't as if they were completely safe – just out of the way.

Perona made a goofy face and mouthed, " _Swoon_!"

Kid purpled as he wanted to reach out and strangle them, Zoro nearly falling forward with his sudden movement. " _Stop_! We're gonna fall! Hey, _you_ , be useful an' do something about this ledge!"

Law lifted a hand, Zoro jerking backwards as the ledge extended outward suddenly, giving them more room to move. The entire cliff wall moved, rumbling ominously with added weight as debris and runny mud fell around them. From the depths below rose a few stalagmite-like formations, dust shooting up before being swallowed by the pummel of mud. But they could jump from formation to formation to reach the other side of the canyon, and all of them did so hurriedly. Once they were on the other side, they all turned as a group to watch the mudslide continue to rain down into the canyon noisily, creating a shift of near deafening sound. The formations Law had created crumbled underneath the force of the opposing strength spilling in.

"How is this possible if there hadn't been any moisture to cause it?" Law asked curiously, hands on his hips as Perona bent at the waist, hands pressed against her lower abdomen. "Mudslides are the products of hard rains, isn't it?"

"You're right," Ussop said, lowering himself to sit shakily on the rocky ground. "There hasn't been any rain or rain clouds in the area at all."

"Then where is the nearest water source up in those mountains? Perhaps a dam was broken…"

"We're not familiar with that area," Ussop confessed as Zoro gave the area a puzzled look. "None of us are."

"We lost _everything_ ," Luffy murmured sadly.

"Not everything," Ussop said reassuringly as he patted his backpacks, Sanji hopping away from him with an anxious whine.

Kid looked to Zoro, utterly impressed to see that he'd escaped from this situation with a single water barrel, his pack, and was able to catch him in mid-fall and hold him steady. It caused a shot of uncomfortable heat through him, breathless with the show of strength. He quickly sat awkwardly once he registered just how this heat affected him. The fennec fox suddenly looked at him with side-eye, ears lowered in a show of extreme judgement. Kid resisted the urge to fling the animal into the canyon out of humiliation. He reached out and attempted to swat him to make him go away.

Sanji sat by Perona with a curl of his tail and leaned against her ankle with reassuring noises, earning sloppy petting as she released her abdomen. Before he could settle into it, Law snatched him up and stuffed him into his backpack, pulling the zipper closed against his startled barks and squawks. Perona glared at Law as he stepped away from the edge with a huff.

" _Now_ where are we going?" he asked of Ussop and Zoro, the others waiting for an answer. "We're to follow this ridge north, right?"

"I guess so," Ussop said with uncertainty, examining the new terrain ahead of them. The fire had left behind standing poles of blackened trees, the entire ground covered with ash. The thought that a similar incident with mud could happen again made him anxious to even continue the route. But he couldn't see where there was any space for it to happen – the walls were sheer against the mountains, rocky and potentially dangerous to cross. He hoped Sanji could find food in this environment, because it looked as if the wildlife abandoned it and vegetation had been scorched away.

Kid exhaled noisily, looking in the direction where the truck had been left. There was no point going back for it, now. His legs ached just from all the activity he'd done, and he rubbed them with a frown as the others began to walk away.

Two days later, Zoro looked over the group with a worried frown. Nightfall was approaching and everyone was dropping like flies. The terrain was tough and unforgiving, and they'd run out of food the night before, without any hope for finding any as this day stretched on. The fire had devastated everything throughout this entire spread – it looked like animal survivors had already gnawed at old, roasted corpses, leaving behind charred skeletons and rotted pieces of fur. The water barrel was halfway empty, and they'd been using that sparingly as the heat from the day continued to bear down on them.

Perona's ghosts had been lost to the mudslide, a complaint Zoro was tired of hearing. They were sunburnt, breathing hard and frustrated at their lack of adaptability, crawling over large rocks in their path with obvious effort. He and Sanji forged on ahead, looking for a place to camp for the night. With Ussop helping encourage the others, they had time to themselves.

The fox was digging underneath some rocks, frantically chasing after some quickly burrowing grubs, but when he was unsuccessful he moved on to sniffing around others. He yelped and quickly raced away when a cat-sized spider lunged after him, legs using the rocky terrain to its advantage by hopping. Zoro pulled a sword and sliced it in two, watching the halves fall away. The fox stopped yelping and paused in the midst of climbing up a sheer cliff wall to look back. Once he saw what happened, he fluffed out his fur and trotted away, Zoro replacing his sword with a shake of his head.

"What a _wimp_ ," he commented lightly. "When are you going to get over that?"

The fluffy tail stiffened as Sanji ignored him, avoiding the area where the spider had emerged. From far behind them Luffy yelled out with fear, the clatter of rocks sailing down to the ground below causing both of them pause. At his chirpy reassurance that he hadn't died, Zoro exhaled with disappointment.

Moving once again, Zoro asked, "Does it feel weird having that guy's attention all the time?"

Sanji looked back at him with a puzzled lift of his ears then sat down with a hard flounce. His furry expression looked cross as Zoro waited for an answer.

"Guess you don't have to say anything about it, I was just chewing on it." Zoro shrugged lightly. "They're pretty much countin' on you for everything. Everything I did wasn't good enough."

At an annoyed growl, he looked to the fox again. "I ain't feeling bad about it, I'm just saying. In one way or another, we all do. Staying behind might be something you might come to regret."

Sanji shook his head, trotting on ahead.

"And it don't even sound like you have a choice," Zoro continued airily. "These guys are clingier than a burr caught in fur. Especially _that_ one. Been around long enough to know that he ain't like most your suitors."

The fox turned to show him his teeth as he voiced his displeasure. Zoro huffed, pausing in mid-step. "All he talked about was how long you was gonna be gone. Ussop said he sabotaged the whole project so that I had to go back to find ya."

Sanji uttered a few noises as he sat again, tail wagging with agitation. He yawned, but his ears flickered as Zoro passed him up.

"Staying here ain't gonna do much for you," he said in passing. "What you gonna do, just live out the rest of your life in the wilderness? Or repeat the colony life?"

The fox snapped at him as he stood and walked slowly after him.

"There's more out there, I bet," Zoro said, looking ahead of them. The trail was thin, rocky, with glances of dirt pools here and there. It might've been a deer trail, once, but all he could smell was smoke and ash. "I think you should at least give it a try."

When he didn't hear anything more coming from Sanji, he looked back to see if he were at least following him. The fox wore such a sour expression that it made Zoro snort. He could finally see the others rounding the bend, their complaints audible once they realized the pair were headed up a higher incline. He could imagine that their legs were feeling the efforts.

He then said, "Or are you scared of that, too?"

Sanji shifted suddenly, climbing to stand up. "Every door has been slammed in my face every full moon, how can't I not expect it to happen again?"

Zoro nodded with confirmation. "I get it. You attached, too. Cuz if you weren't, this wouldn't matter at all."

"Didn't say anything about being _attached_."

"The only reason why you all bothered cuz that guy attached."

"What do you know about that sort of thing? You're just a dumb, blind dog."

"And you're a dumb scaredy-cat chicken."

"How can you just ignore the way mop top slobbers over the very sight of you? How's that going for you?"

With a thoughtful look, Zoro answered, "I don't know. It's weird, but he hasn't been that big of a pain. And his strength matches mine so I'm ain't that bothered about it."

" _Ugh_ ," Sanji muttered, making a sour expression. "So if he finally confesses to you, you'd take his hand?"

"I didn't say that, just said that it's not a pain."

"It's so pathetic! He slobbers at the sight of you, but he don't know what to do with it. _Both_ of them, do," Sanji then muttered bitterly. "Ain't like what I'm used to. I feel like these are two kids just looking up at us, somehow."

Zoro shrugged a shoulder. "Neither of them are that demanding."

"Were you ever present in that house? They made demands all the time!"

"But they ain't pushing us to give things we're always asked for," Zoro pointed out. " _That_ one wants to crowd my space with things that don't make sense, _that_ one snaps at anything that's in yours. Haven't seen no harm in any."

Sanji reluctantly had to admit that this was true. But he did not like the thought of Law killing people over him – even if the colonists 'asked for it'. It gave him such an uncomfortable feeling.

"You would take him as a mate, then?" he asked curiously.

"I didn't say anything about that, I just said nothin's troubling me about it. Why you always so concerned about being paired up?"

"It'd be odd because mop-top's so… _gross_ …"

Zoro shoved him away by his face, forcing Sanji to catch himself. Blustered, Zoro spat, "At least mine don't go on killing sprees over me!"

"Oh, ho ho ho _ho_ , ' _yours'_?"

"I MEANT - ! It's not that I'm doin' this for that kinda attention," Zoro said, pausing in mid-step, Sanji hastily digging his feet into the soft dirt to keep his soles from cooking on the hot surface of the terrain. "I'm doin' this mainly for me. Because I do get lit at the idea of somethin' different. Better'n being treated like that back there."

"I ain't got much to give, I keep telling you that – "

"Yeah you keep saying that, but I think you're just scared cuz you so sensitive."

" _I'm not_ , you dumb rantallion!"

" _You are,_ idiot zounderkite!"

Sanji exhaled low, glaring off to the side as Zoro looked away with frustration. He added sullenly, "I dunno why you insist on this. Clearly, people rely on you."

"For now."

Zoro then frowned at him. "Maybe things can be different."

"Maybe."

"Maybe pairing with that one will get you somewhere. He seems to know how to fix you."

Sanji looked at him incredulously.

"Standing back and bein' a part of the things…it was more than I could ever do," Zoro said quietly. "Things didn't start changing until they came along and…yeah, we're in a mix of things right now, difficult things, but…it's so much different from what we were livin'. We could still be back there, eating scraps but we're here, now. Making our own decisions. Being a part of people that _want_ us. They accept us as is. Ain't we been wanting that sort of thing?"

"Because they only need us right now - !"

"Then change that way of thinkin'!" Zoro insisted. " _Make_ them want you."

Sanji looked at him with a frown. "Is that what you're doing?"

After a few moments, Zoro shrugged. "Can't hurt to try. I mean, I don't care where it leads me as long as it leads away from that. I'm tired living that way," Zoro muttered. "I want to see if there's more out there that can keep makin' me feel like I can be better."

Sanji knew he was resolved, and reluctantly had to let it go. "Then…I should, too."

"Don't be scared."

"I ain't scared, I'm 'realistic'!"

"Don't hurt yourself, now. Using big words can make the head ache."

"That's just your problem!" Sanji then have a reluctant nod. "Fine. We do this your way, then. You lasted years under my suggestion, and it ain't work…trying shouldn't be that difficult…"

Zoro gave him an approving nod.

"Why are you talking to him like this?" Law asked as he replaced Zoro with himself. Sanji hastily covered himself, turning his back to the rock wall while Zoro's bellow rang out from a distance away.

" _Obviously_ , I don't got my stuff," Sanji muttered impatiently. "'Sides, he and I had to talk about some things – "

"We're _dying_ ," Law said slowly, gesturing at his reddened face and dirty clothes, something Sanji scoffed at, "and you're not helping."

"Nothin' to do with that, you put yourself here in the first place."

"Are you holding a conversation about us?" Law then asked suspiciously. "How best to leave us behind?"

Sanji gave him a dirty look. "If'n you want to know, we was arguing about how Kid treats him."

Law gave him a bewildered look, unable to understand how such a subject was relevant at this time. "…How is that important to the situation at hand?"

"That's just the conversation we was having."

"You're up here _gossiping_ while _we're_ back there hoping for a respite from this _infuriating_ obstacle course!"

"You was all trained to obstacles, right? This just another one of those things. Now…either lead the way or trade back with Zoro," Sanji said calmly.

Law frowned at him for several moments, sweat coursing clean trails through dirty patches of skin. Sanji couldn't help but notice his eyes drop over his naked body, making him feel suddenly self-conscious as his hands did their best to hide his genitals. Red faced, he scoffed, "You sure do know how to make a guy feel like he's got a lot of something to hide."

Law was _almost_ embarrassed but he retorted sharply, "I apologize, I've just never seen such a small penis, before."

Sanji reddened and kicked him, causing him to stumble before he could catch himself. "Get your judgement to the back of the line, then!"

"Enough of the gossip and get us to a suitable destination!" Law snapped at him before lifting a hand. He paused to add, "Interesting birthmark."

Sanji scowled before kicking at him, connecting with Zoro's face instead. The wolf toppled over some rocks before he caught himself with a curse, Sanji cringing in response. He hastily shifted back to fox form as Zoro straightened up and climbed back to the trail.

"What was that for?" he asked on a near howl, rubbing his sore cheek before continuing on.

They weren't any successful at finding any food, but they found a small place to camp later that night. After rationing out water to somehow soothe growling tummies, all of them bunched up to lay in a tight row, using their capes and cloaks to cover themselves. The mountainside nearly obscured their vision of the night sky but night animals called out in the distance. Too far away to chance a quick hunt but promised a possibility for tomorrow's travel.

Sanji shifted back into human form, throwing on the ripped nightgown he'd had found stuffed back in his backpack. He complained about it noisily as he settled against the hard ground, Law at his back and Luffy at his front. He refused to be in fox form with so many spiders hiding in the rocks, certain he'd be hunted first for his size. Luffy was gazing up at the darkness with a sullen air. He was too hungry to expend any more energy to complaining about it, his stomach gurgling the loudest. Perona and Ussop were bunched tight together with her spooning him, sharing his cloak. Zoro and Kid were laying side by side, and Kid was trying not to get so excited being so close to the wolf. But his leg was pressed against his and he could smell him – all manliness and sun. It was a good thing no one could see his pleased expression, because he was sure he was beaming with his good fortune.

All of them were in physical states of discomfort – with cracked, dry lips, sunburnt skin, trembling bodies caused by lack of food and proper hydration. They all looked as if they'd emerged from the days on the literal desert, dirty and exhausted. Kid was praying to whatever god could hear them that they didn't die like this; not after everything they'd been through. He picked at the dried flakes on his lips, struggling not to allow the elements conquer him.

"This is just like one of those tests," Luffy murmured as Sanji settled his head against a curled arm, using his toes to keep the hem of his cloak over his slightly bent legs. "Where we had to go through stuff like this just to see what we were made out of."

"We were starved, before," Kid agreed reluctantly. "Forced to endure extreme temperatures. Doesn't mean we like it any now."

"To go through all that and be dumped into the real thing," Zoro muttered thoughtfully. "Least you prepared."

"Under supervision!" Kid insisted. "Always had an eye on us no matter what."

"I don't miss that," Perona said.

"We had medical teams on standby to pick us up if we tripped," Kid mentioned. "Kinda miss that."

"We're not going to have anyone waiting for us when we get there," Luffy said, stomach growling noisily. He settled his hands atop of it with a groan.

Sanji stiffened at the feel of Law's hand on his hip, the weight of it causing him to jerk. He almost slapped it away but remembered the conversation he had with Zoro just hours earlier. He figured in the darkness no one could see the gesture anyway. The older man wasn't contributing much – probably too focused on survival than to engage in childish games or banter with the others.

"This is just one of those tests," Luffy decided. "I hate to starve but I know it's going to end, soon. Right, Zoro, Sanji? We're close to a town, huh?"

"I don't even know if we're even close to a colony," Zoro said with a sigh. "Ussop had the map."

"We're completely off course," Ussop said tentatively. "We weren't expecting to come up here. The road would have led us somewhere – it's been used."

"We could find another one of those marauder strongholds and take over on them for their supplies," Kid suggested. "The last one was pretty stocked."

"Are there no air vehicles at all?" Perona asked curiously. "We were always able to hear them, but it feels weird not hearing anything out there."

"'Air vehicles'?" Ussop questioned. "Things that actually take to the air?"

"Yeah! Planes, helicopters, jets – that sort of thing."

"Only in pictures," Ussop answered with a sigh. "And those left behind on the base."

"I wonder if I can fix up a plane," Kid said aloud.

"Be a lot cooler if you did," Perona said snarkily.

"That sounds a little scary, to be high up in the air without anything to catch you," Zoro admitted cautiously.

"Don't even worry about it, I'd catch you," Kid assured him.

Perona snickered, earning a reach and slap atop of the head from the flustered man. " _Ow_!"

"I mean basically we had to learn how to endure certain situations under the guidance of the Marines," Kid said, retracting his hand to hurriedly escape the cold. "They thought of all types of cool Michael Bay shit. Explosions, gunfire, air escapes – everything on land that you can think of."

"But nothing in water?" Sanji questioned, feeling that hand snake underneath his cloak, feeling for the hem of his nightgown. His ears reddened as he stilled, feeling goosebumps rise over his legs at the touch. Sanji felt Law's fingers brushing over the hair on his thighs, finding the shape of his muscle; he tried not to react negatively. It reminded him of that first night out in the city; he told himself that Law was just a big animal invading his space. But he reached under and settled his hand over his, pushing when Law's hand moved too high.

" _Not the right time_ ," he hissed over his shoulder.

"Nah," Kid answered over him. "Because we're stupid with water. It's their own damn fault."

"It's practically pointless," Perona muttered. "If they had to ship us somewhere, there's a lot of water we'd have to cross to reach our destination!"

"Maybe you just need to be taught how to swim," Zoro said.

"They had us doing laps in the pool," Luffy said. "Swimming was fun! But they used it against us, too."

"Water hoses filled with seawater," Kid muttered.

"That's a rough life," Zoro said. "Took you guys in and then tried to break you to make you strong."

"Well, look at us today! Didn't think we'd last that long out here, eh?"

"Yeah, true…you made it so far."

"But starving _sucks_ ," Luffy complained as his stomach sounded out noisily.

"Kid, you sound so _gross_. Like Bella trying to ignore Edward but really devouring him with her eyes," Perona muttered, pulling Ussop's cloak tight around her, forcing him to battle her for part of it. "Stop moving! I'm cold!"

" _I'm_ cold, too!"

"You should let the girl have everything! Be a man!"

"I am a man! A _cold_ man!"

"I guess we should be thankful for all of that," Kid then said, ignoring Perona's comment. "It did prepare us a bit for this."

"I'd rather not have done it at all," Luffy murmured sleepily. "Missed out on a lot back then. Now we're in places where there isn't any food or people."

All at once their stomachs growled noisily. All of them reacted with slight curls and groans, hearing water slosh with their own movement.

"Well at least I'm not bleeding anymore," Perona grumbled. "But I'm losing hair. If I show up at the next colony looking like a bald woman, I'm going to be pissed."

"Maybe you'll get lost along the way," Kid said hopefully.

"I'll never die! I'll turn myself into a zombie and hunt you wherever you go!"

Sanji caught the hand snaking up the length of his thigh, pushing the material with it. He tightened his fingers with warning before saying, "There are animals out there – maybe tomorrow we can hunt them. They go where the water is."

"You and I can go hunting," Zoro offered. "Do that thing, again. Ussop can track us."

"That sounds like a good plan!" Ussop exclaimed then released a shrill noise as Perona stuffed her hands up the back of his shirt.

"'Course it might be a problem," Sanji said, fighting against Law's strength with both hands. "With all of you 'bout dying the last time on your own."

"Yeah, we might get some wrong ideas," Luffy agreed sleepily. "Can you please settle down? All your moving is really distracting me."

"If we just keep going for a few miles, I'm sure we'll get around this ridge eventually," Zoro said. "It don't go on forever. All we gotta do is sight some birds, see where they're going."

"Sanji, can't you cook spiders?" Luffy then whined. He turned to face him and Sanji stilled, horrified that Luffy could see what was happening in the dark. Law took advantage of this by finding settling his hand over his stomach, squeezing lightly.

Sanji elbowed him roughly before saying, "Can't cook those things. Full of poison."

"He can!" Zoro scoffed. "I remember one of these places selling roasted insects at the market. He's just a meater."

" _Sanji_ \- !" Luffy cried weakly.

"I'll leave Ussop with instructions, then!" Sanji snapped in exasperation, turning onto his back and throwing Law's hand off from him, material fluttering as he finally escaped the other man's touch. "You guys can trap it and cook it for yourselves! I ain't going to have any part of it."

"I don't want that duty," Ussop muttered, shivering.

Perona leaned in to smell him, then hummed with delight. "Yum, you smell like tacos, Ussop! Taco Bell tacos!"

" _Ugh_ ," Kid muttered. "Usually that's not a good thing."

Ussop screamed again as Perona bit him on the neck with munching noises. He sat up harshly. "Will someone trade me places?"

"Nope, we're all settled in," Zoro said, closing his eyes. "Everyone get some sleep."

"Hey, uh, maybe if you move closer it'll really help me out," Kid then mumbled towards him, speaking from the side of his mouth as Perona and Ussop argued.

"I'll lay by you if you're cold, Kid!" Luffy shouted from his distance away, causing him to make an embarrassed sound deep in his throat as he was caught. 'You're like a big heater!"

"I don't want you laying by me!" Kid huffed.

"Why not? Law keeps tickling Sanji and it's distracting me!"

" _Oooh_!" Perona cried, sitting up with a start. "Getting frisky will keep you warm!"

Sanji elbowed the other man with impatience. Law merely grunted, scowling as he realized he wasn't as sneaky as he'd thought.

Sanji huffed out, fixing his nightgown. "Enough chatter. This is just the crazy talking after going without food or comforts for awhile. It'll pass."

He found a rock and threw it in Zoro's direction once he recognized the rising volume of his snores. As it bounced off his head, Zoro snorted and sat up with alarm, looking around blearily for incoming trouble.

Sanji then impatiently fished a rock out of Luffy's mouth as he heard him crunching on it, pushing his head away as he resettled. Luffy sighed, folding his hands underneath his cheeks.

"Sanji, you're like Corazon," he said sleepily. "Corazon was nice to us like this, too."

"No he isn't," Law snapped immediately.

"I don't know who that is, but how he managed with the lot of you all these years must've made him a saint afterward," Sanji grumbled grouchily as he fluffed his cloak out, keeping his legs curled. "Go to sleep."

He gave a startled sound as he felt Law's hands push up against his side, edging closer. But because he then settled to lean on him, Sanji felt he wasn't in any danger of any further encroachment. He struggled to relax, hands tight at his sides before shifting them onto his stomach. Luffy rolled up against him, smushing him against the other man before releasing a gusty sigh. It didn't take long for Law to realize that movement, sending Luffy rolling into Perona and Ussop, both of them giving startled shouts.

"Stop doing that!" Sanji snapped at him.

Law's only response was a drop of his arm over him, but really it was there to make sure Luffy didn't cross a line. Sanji could imagine his face being twisted with some childish expression; not wanting to share his toy with others. It annoyed him, but he could see this being true.

"Can we all just fucking _quiet_ down?" Kid asked in exasperation as their voices rose up and filled the mountainside with their complaints.

"Law pushed me!"

"Get off me! Your breath stinks!"

"Aieee! Your _hands_ \- !"

"Ussop, anyone ever tell you you have a big butt?"

"Hey, can I feel?"

"NOOO!"

Kid slapped his hands against his face, drawing his fingers down with exasperation. Eventually they all started to resettle, Zoro snoring lightly. Kid looked in his direction, figuring that the wolf was just that tired to ignore all these sounds. He looked back up at the sky, hearing Law's low mumble as Sanji sighed noisily.

"It's not the right time!" he insisted. Kid heard Law mutter something that had Sanji add, "Don't tell me your hands are cold, they feel fine to me!"

"Trafalgar, you're such a pervert," Perona sighed tiredly.

"Sanji, can I put my hands up your dress, too?" Luffy asked on a light whine. He then yelped. " _OW_! Don't pinch me!"

"Stop being so darn childish!" Sanji snapped. "You a grown man, act like one!"

"Glad I'm not laying over there," Ussop mumbled.

It brought Kid back to the bunker – the four of them resisting bedtime, their chatter mostly arguments against the Marines that were waiting for them to settle before they could clock out for the day. It was unfair to be treated this way, considering their ages and their development – Kid knew he would never miss it. But he did miss the comforts they had; he missed his bed, his clothes, the meals…

His stomach rumbled noisily, Luffy's echoing it. He heard the teen give a dramatic sniffle, whining low to Sanji about somehow having a snack. Kid didn't hear what the response was, closing his eyes and just feeling the exhaustion set in as he did so.

: :

Law didn't know what it was but he woke up with a ringing sense of impeding doom. The early morning light had just started to show in the sky and morning birds were chirping in the distance. The cold had left a light layer of frost over them; sometime in the night, Sanji was curled up against the length of his body with his face pressed against his chest with Luffy hugging onto him from behind. As pleasant as that was, _something_ had Law lifting his head to look straight at a couple of armored men with long rifles creeping up the trail just beyond Zoro. To his left were several more making their way to them with caution.

They wore blue colors with dyed animal fur, face-masks and animal skeletons layered over their plates of armor. Once one of them saw him move, he held a fist up in the air as a signal, gun lowering. Law didn't hesitate – he quickly grabbed onto Sanji, kicking Luffy away and awake at the same time. In a split second he teleported out of there, reappearing moments down the trail behind those creeping up to them.

Luffy's yell of discovery woke up the others as Sanji grunted with surprise, Law hanging onto him with one arm wrapped firmly around his neck and shoulders, the other free to make a gesture. He formed a Room as Luffy sprang into action, crying for food. Kid rushed to his feet to stop any gunfire as Zoro had his swords out and leapt to action, slicing through those that Luffy left behind.

Law realized his powers seemed to fizz – days of being out in the elements without any food and barely any water had weakened him considerably. He glanced at the others and saw that Luffy was already panting, sluggishly trying to clear a troop of these attackers with slow moving hands.

He gave a reluctant exhale, tightening his biceps as Sanji struggled to get his head loose. He was on his tiptoes to do so, Law finally aware that he was dragging him about as he moved.

He gave a calm, "We give up."

" _What_?" Kid shouted, looking at him with bewilderment as he kept his arms up, prepared to catch any gunfire coming his way. Luffy had done enough to disarm and beat those that had tried, preventing Kid from showing off so far.

Law didn't have to explain to him his plan, but he loosened his hold on Sanji enough to allow him to stand. To the two men he said, "Capturing us as prisoners will do you good."

"What the hell?" Kid cried in exasperation. "In no way am I going to be anyone's prisoner!"

"Take us back to your colony," Law said, letting go of Sanji to hold his hands up in surrender.

Kid grit his teeth as he read the situation. It irked the hell out of him that Law thought of this so quickly when he only wanted to destroy and win against those that had threatened them. As he caught his breath he glared at the other man.

The pair of men looked at Law with wary gestures, speaking amongst each other from behind their masks.

Sanji gave a short exhalation, adjusting his cloak around him. Because of the amount of damage done to their group already, he spoke hastily, " _Thank you_! Thank you, you found us! These men kidnapped us from our camp, please, save us!"

Law looked at him with a frown as Sanji hastily left his side, pushing his way to Perona. He clutched her shoulders as the woman gave a bewildered expression, dropping her mask. "Both of us! They were holding us prisoners for some kind of ransom!"

"These monsters tried to do terrible things to me," Perona added tearfully, clutching onto Sanji and causing him to grow a little lightheaded. Zoro scoffed, lowering his swords as he saw the ploy.

"Luffy, stand down, man," Kid ordered, lowering his hands to his sides before lifting them in surrender.

"Why? We can take them!"

"Just _listen_!"

"If their hands are restrained, they can't do a thing," Sanji said quickly. "They use some sorta magic waving their hands around."

"What kind of trickery is this?" one of them asked suspiciously, as those Luffy felled picked themselves up slowly, the teenager watching with a pout. "You expect us to believe you? We heard shouts the night before, and it didn't seem like you guys were in any fear of your lives."

"Look at us!" Perona snapped at them, opening her cloak to reveal her torn, dirty dress and tights. Then she gestured at Sanji, opening his cloak to reveal his torn nightgown. He covered himself hastily out of embarrassment. "Did you see us trying to fight? No! _That_ guy grabbed him to run away and _these_ guys were fighting to keep you away from me. We're valuable people, _rich_ people! Of course we can't fight them back, we're weak and feeble!"

Sanji's brow furrowed but he struggled to look as Perona insisted them as. She took a few steps forward to one of the men, holding onto his gun as she said desperately, "Take us back to your colony! You can sell them as slaves, it'll make you good money!"

The man stared at her for several moments, then looked around them. His gun waving about, he indicated for the others to sit on their knees. Law did so smoothly, Luffy growling with reluctance as Ussop fell to his, and Zoro set his swords aside. Sanji stalked over to him and snatched his swords from him, making a big show of retrieving his family heirlooms. Zoro glared after him but let it go once it looked like the men in armor were set to believe the pair standing unharmed. He settled his hands atop of his head at the insistent gesture, Kid following his movements.

Kid glared over at Law as those left unharmed by the brief battle cautiously set about restraining their hands, Perona chattering lightly about being rescued. Once they were forced to their feet, their supplies retrieved by those free to do so, they were then forced into a line between two groups of combatants.

"This _better_ be a good idea," he mumbled low as Law was forced to stand in front of him.

"Give it a few minutes when we get there," Law then told him. "They might have more information I could use for the future."

"I don't want to be involved in that!" Kid sighed before one of the armed men hit him with warning, using the butt of his gun to do so. His face filled with red, muscles straining before Zoro knocked his head into his.

"Might do us some good to wait until _after_ we get some food," he told Kid. Kid slowly exhaled the hot breath he'd gathered to give a good cursing. It made sense to do as Zoro said; they needed energy to expend energy. He gave a reluctant nod. Seeing that Kid was calm for now, Zoro gave him an awkward nudge of his shoulder into his arm, approving of his patience.

Kid's face warmed with pleasure, positive that things were looking up for them now.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N** : I drew Perona's outfit for this chapt – uploaded at my Tumbler!

 **Naghi-Tan** : It sure does!

 **Happy Balon** : He doesn't realize what power his happy face has XD

 **Sarge1130** : Someday they will all come together with their views – but that day isn't any time soon. D: Perona just reminded everyone that even if they have the power, they're still powerfully destructive and childishly vindictive.

 **: : Twenty Four**

When they caught sight of the colony in the distance, the visible differences from it compared to the last were immense. It was a city forged out of the mountainside, with structures created out of rock. The walls were formed out of a combination of metal and rock, standing tall with open towers that allowed armed men to stand guard within. Their water source was a gushing waterfall off to the far corner, with sheer ridges blooming with colorful fields. Smoke from various factories took to the sky, and Kid was sure it was the same thing he'd seen on the ground days ago. Luffy was in awe of the castles that they could see, growing excited as they grew near it. Bouncing in his seat with delight, he couldn't wait to get free to explore the place.

The six of them were crammed into a cage that smelled of rotten carcasses – Ussop and Kid were retching from time to time, sitting perched in a way that prevented them from seated themselves onto visible traces of old body fluids and fur. Law leaned against the cage, silently observing those escorting them on a dirt road alongside rough terrain vehicles. It seemed to him that there was some sort of hierarchy on display – those in the darker blue armor seemed to bully those in lighter colors by making them run alongside them, talking down to them in such a way that suggested they were a separate unit from them. The latter had what looked like clumsy spears and old guns that jammed easily, while the other unit carried impressive crossbows and long rifles. The group wore stiff expressions as they ignored the bullying, carrying on their task with impressive stamina.

He noticed that Perona and Sanji had been prompted onto a vehicle ahead of them, Perona taking the stage with her tales of incredible riches and impressive family lineage. Those surrounding them were visibly cheered at her tales, occasionally asking questions and finding her naturally pink hair amazing. Law couldn't hear what was being said over the vehicles' engines, but he was sure it was a bunch of hogwash.

The heavy metal gates opened with the pull of massive oxen that were built stronger than those they'd already seen. They crossed a heavy wooden bridge and entered a grand wide space that was filled with stone roads, walls, and houses made from surrounding oak. There was the stench of a living area crowded with people, with various smells hitting them all at once. He missed the clean, sanitary conditions of the bunker, of a city with a proper working sewer system. This was just too medieval for him to fully appreciate.

Kid retched again, pressing his face against the cage in an effort to get some air. Zoro chuckled, sitting stiffly as he waited. Luffy stood, and Law kicked his leg in to force him to sit.

"Remember when we were drilled to sat back, observe and wait?" he said low, over the volume of voices that fluttered over them. The townspeople were turning in walkways to look at them curiously, greeting the group grandly. "This place is smaller than the other colony – but it probably has underground structures that are hiding more people."

"Law, I can smell food," Luffy told him impatiently. "I'm starving! I can get us out of here quick, and - !"

"Wait until we're in the castle, or wherever they're taking us," Law amended, seeing that they had separated from most of the convoy. The lead vehicles were turning back to park in a wide-scale parking area that was neatly maintained, quick to take to the main road out of the gates if needed. While the streets were full of townspeople, those in armor were patrolling as well. "There will be a kitchen there with plenty of cooked food, desserts and more than enough armored enemies for you to work it off. If there is an important person in there, there will be better food."

Luffy whined, shaking in his seat. His stomach grumbled noisily as they passed by some food carts, sellers cooking what looked to be meat on skewers. Sure enough, insects had been roasted and seasoned, put on display for those to buy.

"All the flags say 'Warpol'," Kid observed, unimpressed with the insignias. "Hey, is that the name of this place?"

He directed that to a pair of men still running alongside them. They glanced at each other before one of them said, "It's the name of our king."

" _King_ ," Kid repeated to the others, wearing a smirk. "Who's in charge of the crown?"

"I'm not interested in domination. I want to see what their libraries contain," Law said, noticing a street full of medical services that also drew his concentration. "Do whatever you want after we enter the castle."

Wearing an unsettled look, Zoro said, "We're not here to conquer anything. We just want food and supplies, then we go."

"Like anyone's going to stand around and let us," Ussop said with a sigh. He retched, catching himself with a groan.

"If we make our mark here, too, we won't be bothered by scumwads who think they're better than us," Kid told Zoro. "That's how you earn respect – you go out and make a name for yourself, no matter who it is."

"But these might be good people," Ussop argued. "We don't want to usurp a good thing. They could be allies in the future."

"Best way to make allies is to show off what you got," Kid said in response. He shifted about in his seat, carefully lowering his arms low enough to climb his feet through his tied wrists, surprisingly flexible. Once he had his hands in front of him, he found the knot and pulled at it with his teeth. Zoro looked at him with a puzzled expression, wondering why he was tightening the ropes. Kid spit off to the side. "This ain't rope. It's plastic. _Dirty_ plastic."

"And you put it in your mouth," Law said with disgust.

"I don't see you doing anything!" Kid huffed, sure that the ropes were tight enough. He brought them down of his knee, plastic snapping right off upon the impact. Zoro and Ussop were impressed. Keeping his hands in front of him, Kid waited for his moment while Luffy clumsily extended his arms up and over his head and slithered out of his bonds without any trouble. He mimicked Kid's stance while Ussop looked to Zoro with worry.

All Zoro could do was shrug.

"I get the king," Kid then told them on a hiss.

"Knock yourself out," Law said with a shrug.

They were taken to the castle that rose from the center of the colony. It reminded them of a movie set from Lord of the Rings, or Game of Thrones. Surrounded by armed guards in blue, with animals carrying and leading various wagons away from large oval doorways. There were training areas where men and women trained with various weaponry and hand-to-hand combat. A gun range was located closer to the wall, the stone walls pinging with shots that failed to hit the target. Curving stairways lead up to various openings in the structure, and dark blue curtains fluttered outside of opened windows. Occasionally, they'd see modern items – guards carrying solar powered tablets, talking on radios, electricity running to the lower levels only by lines that buzzed noisily overhead.

Maneuvering down to a grand opening that was alit with ceiling lights overhead, the area was made for their vehicles to enter and leave without threat of a pile-up. High stone walls showed off various open doorways that could be shuttered with heavy wood doors. Repairs were being made here, the sounds of welding, drilling and cranky mechanic shouts ringing throughout the area. The burning scents seemed to burn out the stench from outside.

Once the vehicles paused, the others prepared themselves for an attack. Perona hopped out from the vehicle with Sanji behind her, looking up at the place with interest.

"So where's your king?" she asked loudly, enough for her voice to carry to the others.

"He would like to meet you both, to discuss the ransom," one of the bigger guardsmen said. He pulled his hood and mask off to reveal a heavy set face, hair slicked back neatly. "He's interested in your colony. As such, I would recommend that you wear our Walkie gear in preparation for winter; you don't have to clean it so much, so no one will notice you haven't shaved anything for those months."

Sanji and Perona stared up at him with confusion as he nodded grimly.

Perona waved that away to ask, "Why, does he want to raid it, or something?"

The man didn't answer, but Law noticed that those in lighter blue seemed to gravitate towards him while the others surrounded the cage.

" _Idiots_ ," Kid muttered. "Hey, Ussop, if this guy thinks he can get a part of that ransom and wants info on that other colony, he ain't a good guy, right?"

Ussop shrugged.

"Wait," Law then said. He looked to Sanji, who was wearing a pensive expression. He looked back at them, cloak fluttering as he showed off the signal with a hand.

"He gives the 'okay'," Zoro said, rising as the cage was opened. "I guess you guys can do what you want."

"Like we need his direction to do so!" Kid cried in exasperation, standing up.

"NO!" Ussop cried, knocking his whole body into him, causing him to crash over Luffy and Law while the guards yelled for their cooperation. "He had only two fingers out, Zoro!"

Zoro gave a frown as a rifle was shoved up against his head, an order for him to settle down ringing out. "Oh. I get those confused."

" _What does that mean_?" Kid hissed, straightening up with his hands up as Ussop trembled under the threat of being shot like an animal inside of the cage.

"It means 'there's more'," Ussop answered shakily. "Either more to the story, or more than we can see. It means danger!"

" _Ussop_ ," Kid said impatiently as he and the others were dragged out from the cage. Two of the larger men managed to grab each of his arms, forcing them back behind him once more. Struggling to rein in his rising irritation with the manhandling, he let them reinforce more bonds to his wrists. "How many times do we have to tell you that _we're_ the most dangerous - !"

"We are in the middle of the kingdom," Law said testily as he was jerked around to stand near the others, trying to see where Perona and Sanji were being escorted. They were being taken to a staircase leading up to another floor, while they were being ushered towards a darker doorway nearby. "Nearly dead. How long will you last in this condition before you can even find a kitchen or a clue?"

"It's _your_ fault we're here!" Kid howled at him with exasperation, all of them forced to walk forward.

"This is clearly a combatant ready colony, unlike the other one," Law said patiently as they entered a narrow hall, the guards pushing and shoving them to continue moving. "But it appears that there are two factions here at hand. With both of them serving under a king, this king might be a little more of a terror than Iceburg. It'd be interesting to meet with him to see what this colony's foundation is built upon."

"It's up on a mountain, Law, so _obvi_ , dirt," Luffy said with irritation. He then snarled at a guard prodding at him with the edge of his spear, snapping at the teen to stop talking. "STOP PUSHING ME!"

Kid frowned as they all emerged into a wide corridor that then dropped a level into steel doors, holes with bars that had spikes pointing inward into the cells. There was a bonfire going that made the area uncomfortable, instantly causing their skin to glimmer with sweat. He sighed with a tilt of his head back, utterly disgusted at himself. "Why do I listen to you?"

"Why do you, indeed," Law murmured thoughtfully. He looked to the head guard as they were individually led to separate cells. "Can we meet your king?"

"Shut up, asshole. Get in and shut your trap," the man replied as the door opened before him. All that was inside were men with dirty faces and four feet of dirt space that made Law's upper lip curl with distaste before he was shoved inside. When the door closed, the spikes pushed against him, prompting him to step over those that were already seated inside. It didn't leave much space to stand or sit comfortably, and the men at his feet shifted awkwardly with complaints.

"Fucking hell!" he heard Kid yell as doors slammed in response. "This is fucking bullshit!"

"I just wanted something to eat, Law!" Luffy howled, banging commencing moments later. "There is nothing to eat, here!"

"The king will eat you," one of the men whispered with unease, Law looking down at him. "The king will eat all of us."

"So the king is a cannibal," Law stated, just loud enough for Luffy to stop banging so he could hear.

"Not just for food. He absorbs you, turns into you. He can eat anything!"

Law nodded. "Then I want to meet him."

"What's going on?" Zoro asked from his cell, where a skeleton of a man sat, missing half of his right side. It looked like something huge had taken a bite out it and spit out the bones against the back of the space.

"I don't know why we're even listening to you!" Kid complained, kicking aside on of the men sitting in his cell just so he had room to stand. With a wave of his hands, the steel spikes shot upward and bent against the bars with noisy action, allowing more room. The pair looking at him wore expressions of shock.

"Don't let the king know you can do that!" one of them whispered hastily at him, drawing his attention. "If he knows, he'll eat you up!"

"I'd like to see him try! What you in here, for?" Kid asked curiously, looking out of his cell to see the men that had brought them here already headed up the stairs. He hit the bars with frustration.

"We're doctors."

" _What_ …?"

"He found out about our practice and imprisoned us here to die."

"Why?"

"It's against the law to be sick or injured."

Kid laughed while the pair of them looked troubled. "That's stupid!"

"Warpol hates doctors."

"Then we've got a guy here for him! Hey, Trafalgar! Tell the guards you're a doctor!"

"Why should I do that?" Law asked with an eye roll.

"So the king eats you! Apparently, he hates them."

" _I'm a doctor_!" Luffy cried in desperation, his arms stretching out from the cell and reaching across for those of Ussop's. He shook the cell door while Ussop cried out for him to stop, drawing the shocked attention from the guards that heard the noise. "I'm a damned doctor! Get me some food!"

" _Hey_! You there! How are you doing that?"

With an impatient look at the pair of men who looked horrified at the sight of Luffy's arms, Kid shoved his cell door outward, metal breaking away from the wall with an ear-piercing screech of sound. The guards that immediately descended their way wore such shocked expressions that most stopped in mid-movement. Some dropped their guns in horror.

"If it's not a lot of trouble, we'd like to meet your king," he said. "And bring us some fucking food!"

Zoro exhaled noisily, shaking his head with exasperation.

: :

They were treated like royalty, Sanji had to admit. Given fresh scented baths and clothes to wear; servants brought by trays of snacks and water, both of them eating hungrily as they were tended to. Their king wanted to greet them himself, they were told by the servants that tended to them. He had a bad feeling about the place that wasn't easing up, and all he could think about was whether or not the others were strong enough for this confrontation.

Perona's hair dangled wetly against her back, a woman tending to her with an awestruck expression as she attempted to dry it with a towel. Stuffing her face with some cold sandwiches, Perona said to Sanji, "How long do we keep this up?"

"Just until the others are strong enough to move," he answered, examining his appearance in the floor to ceiling mirror ahead of them. The bathroom was extravagant – something out of a picture book. It lacked proper windows but came with a stone bath and shower, extra wooden benches for various uses, multiple sinks and counters with various needed items at hand. But while it was grand in style, the walls and floor clung to the cold mountain air. Sanji suspected that this place was capable of holding onto snow for months on end.

He was wearing a floor sweeping blue tunic with some type of white rabbit fur at the lapels and hood, the reversible garment sleeves allowing a different print that could be seen from inside. The shoulders felt stacked and stiff – the cuffs dangling over his knuckles in a cumbersome way. Underneath that were white pants over short, leather boots. He felt uncomfortable wearing such extravagance, stiff and awkward as he found that clothes had changed him into a different person. Like someone that belonged amongst the others walking down in the streets below and not the unwanted science experiment he'd been known as. Perona was wearing a strapless black dress with a high thigh slit and white thigh high boots strapped up with black ribbons around her legs. She kept admiring herself, humming some tune from her past as she tilted her head this way and that. Her fur shrug was decorated with blue ribbons and stripes of rabbit fur, something she couldn't wait to wear.

"I wouldn't mind staying here for winter," she murmured as the maid turned on the hair dryer and began to brush out the long twists in her hands. "I would look so _pretty_."

"You would," Sanji agreed, turning to look at her. "But I don't think anyone else wants to do that."

"Forget about them. I'm going to marry that big guy and we're going to have kids on this mountain," Perona said, examining how much of her chest she was able to put on display. She was flat chested so she ended up stuffing her dress with toilet paper, the maid following after her with a struggle. "I've decided."

"I'm sure that would work out for you," Sanji said with amusement. "But we should be careful – I don't think this king is that interested in our wellbeing."

"He fed us and dressed us up! Why not? If he thought we were scum like the others, we'd have been treated like the others," Perona said impatiently as the maid fixed her hair, decorating her pigtails with a headband decorated with rabbit fur and shiny stones. A spotted veil was pulled down over her eyes, and Perona squealed with delight.

"Because he showed too much interest in the colony."

Perona rolled her eyes, shooing the maid away. Once she was gone, she looked up at him with a frown. "That's behind us now. We're moving on. There's no need to look back."

"Those people back there – "

"Are long gone, Sanji," she said as a rap on the door caught their attention. She huffed. "Man, he doesn't waste a second, does he?"

Sanji thought she was talking about the colony as a metaphor and didn't think too deeply into it as a butler opened the door and indicated that they follow him.

"Let me handle this since I got us into this," Perona told him, wobbling a little in her boots over the uneven floor. "And stand straight! Look like you've got a ton of money waiting for you back home, that's how I'm selling us as! I think you look nice, by the way. Blue fits you better. Law's going to choke on his tiny tongue when he sees you."

Sanji just made a face but he straightened his shoulders and walked as if they belonged to a higher tier. It wasn't that hard to imagine, especially since it reminded him of the home he'd been forced to leave. They were taken to a massive throne room decorated with pillars of candles, guardsmen in heavier armor and face masks. Flags fluttered overhead, caught in the summer mountain breeze from opened windows. Every sound was amplified by the tall walls and wide floor, which seemed to shimmer with oil.

"The expense for propane must be massive," he heard Perona mutter as the butler left them and they caught sight of a short, overweight man with purple hair sprouting out from underneath a metal crown straightening up in a throne carved out of wood, metal and stone. It was an ugly sight, both of them wondering how anyone could sit in it. His grey rabbit robe fluttered at his shoulders as he greeted them. They were slightly stunned to see that his mouth had been replaced with a metal cylinder, hinges creaking as he spoke. The skin around it seemed raw and angry, permanently bubbling with some type of infection. Gummy fluid ran around the edges, which made Perona's stomach bubble with discomfort.

"Welcome, children!" he said, showing off contrasting stripes around skinny legs, a tunic belted in place with leather straps. The man from earlier arrived at his side, looking grim as Perona smiled brightly and Sanji nodded. "I heard of your plight! What a scary predicament, were you hurt in any way?"

"Not at all, sir! Scary, yes, but we've no injuries – "

"Great! Because there are no doctors here to treat you," the king said with an absent gesture. "It is forbidden here to have injury or any type of sickness, so I hope neither of you are sick."

Perona and Sanji struggled not to show any confusion, but the woman failed.

"So, I hear you're both from the colony by the sea," Warpol said gleefully, gesturing at them. "Come closer! I would like to hear more about this place. It's only a tale from the wastelanders, so I wasn't even sure if there was such a place!"

"Oh, it's there alright," Perona assured him. "It's a wonderful place! Full of crops, treasures, and – "

"' _Treasures'_?" Warpol asked as his Royal Guardsman shifted uneasily. "What sort of 'treasures'?"

" _Me_ , of course!" Perona then laughed giddily. "I'm kidding, but our families are of the most impressive lineage. _His_ family managed the food sector, mine is the fashion district. Together, our families live in a mansion on the hill with Iceburg tending to us first."

"Eh? Is that name of your ruler?"

"It is! Would you like to meet him?" Perona asked coquettishly, a smirk drawing over her face.

"I would," Warpol said, fiddling with the thin hairs over his upper lip. He wore a rather scheming expression as he examined both of them. "I believe we'd have many things to talk about regarding each other's colonies. How we can help each other out – this world is going to shit on a spiral, and so it would make sense to extend our hand to those that can reach back! I am King Warpol, by the way. Your hair is really lovely, girl. I've never seen that shade, before. Are all the women of your family that pink?"

"Just me," she said, preening.

Warpol looked to Sanji, lingering for a moment on his face. His eyebrows drew together with a frown. "You look familiar…have you been here before?"

"No," Sanji answered with a little apprehension. "I've lived in the colony by the sea all my life."

"It's just that some parts of you stand out!" Warpol said, gesturing at him.

"Oh, are you famous out here, too?" Perona asked Sanji curiously.

"No," Sanji said firmly.

"There's a tale I've heard a few times while outside of these powerful walls," Warpol said, clasping his hands together as his metal jaw creaked. "That men with spirals on their faces would soon descend onto this continent and destroy everything in their path. It was a scary tale, sort of a… _serious_ tale…so seeing you with spirals on your face gave me a little heart attack."

Sanji said nothing while Perona looked at him with interest.

"But like I said, it was a tale," Warpol mentioned. "The origins of it are lost in time. Along with it the rumors of an island destroyed by their own might."

Sanji looked at him with curiosity. "What kind of rumors?"

"Oh, they blew themselves up, or something," Warpol said, examining his nails. "Blasted themselves right off the map. Nothing more came of it, so those old tales will remain old tales."

Warpol somehow managed to wiggle out of his seat and popped down onto the stairs with a hurried waddle. Guards dropped in around him at Dalton's command, Warpol reaching for Perona's hand. With a near disgusted face, she took it gingerly. The group of them left the throne room with Dalton right behind Sanji.

"Come, come! I want you to see our maps! I have maps of the entire world, very rare."

"You will return us, though, right? I'm sure my family is expecting me back home – they're probably fearing for my life after being taken for ransom," Perona said as they marched out from the throne room, heading down the hall to another opened room on their right.

It lacked windows, surrounded by metal bars and pillars that would save it if there was ever a collapse on this side of the castle. Warpol shuffled out of his shoes, servants appearing from the shadows to deliver slippers and take shoes from them. On every available inch of the wall and floor were meticulously painted maps. Sanji looked around in awe, amazed at the detail of each location. He couldn't read the locations, but he knew that this was something Law was looking for. He would have to bring him here later.

"We'll take care of it," Warpol assured her, gesturing at them follow him towards the right side, where the image painted onto the wall was a stark outline of the coastline, along with the barricade of the colony. It had no real details. "Tell me, both of you – "

"I don't know if we should give this information," Sanji said, looking for pockets in his tunic and finding none. So he settled his hands at his sides. "We're not the best at details."

"Eh? But you only have to answer a few questions," Warpol said, frowning at him. He tapped his metal jaw up against his mandible. "Surely you're able to do that for me while I do this for you."

"Is there a way you can contact Iceburg? Let him know we're safe?"

"I can do that, don't worry about it – "

"Our…parents must be in a mindless panic right now, awaiting word from us. We were out there for quite some time."

"Theirs is much mystery about the colony by the sea," Warpol said. "Its location is the safest one could have on this side of the island. Rich with mountain run off water, an ideal safety spot against potential marauders who want its land and its people. Your lands provide the most potent of vegetables and is an easy road out into the sea, something us land lovers have yet to venture out to. It's a beautiful place, and yet I know nothing about it."

"Then perhaps Iceburg can be the best one to talk to you about it," Sanji said. Perona noticed that he wasn't speaking with his 'hick-speak', forming every word carefully so that it appeared that he was every bit of 'royalty' they were standing as.

Warpol frowned at him, lowering his hands to his sides as Perona fiddled with her shrug.

"What's up, sir?" she asked him. "Why you mad?"

"I'm not mad," Warpol said steadily. "I just find it inconvenient to be misled this way. Here I am, a generous man, rescuing you from peril and inviting you into my castle, feeding and clothing you in my personal finest, and you two refuse to help me."

Perona shrugged. "I mean, it's nothing to be mad about. We know how things are outside the walls – people want to kill us, they want our land, they want our resources – we're not dumb."

Warpol eyed her for several long moments, Sanji stepping in close to her with an arm around her shoulder.

"We've been out in the desert without food and barely any water for several days," he said to the man. "Traumatized. All we want to do is get back to our families."

"Tell me, young man," Warpol said, looking at him. "If it were for your safety, what would you do to guarantee seeing your parents again?"

It Sanji took a few moments to answer. "Anything."

"Then shouldn't this be one of those times?" Warpol asked, frowning up at them.

"I don't think I like you," Perona said slowly, frowning at him. She shrugged Sanji's hands from her. "You're like one of the Marine bastards. Guess what, dumb ass? If you even get a call to that colony, you won't get an answer. They're all dead by now."

" _What_?" Warpol and Sanji exclaimed, looking at her with startled expressions.

"That's right," Perona said, holding up a finger. Her mask developed over her eyes, Warpol stepping away from her with a horrified expression as he took in the sight of her. He dropped onto his backside with a shout as she stepped towards him, holding her hand up at him threateningly. " _I_ did it! It only takes one to infect the entire place! You know _why_ I did, asshole? Because people think they can boss me around and disregard what I think or feel in favor of their own. I'm sick of it."

"You _didn't_ ," Sanji said with horrified tone.

"Sorry," she told him airily. "They were assholes, Sanji, they won't be missed. And now I'm going to do it to him."

He grabbed her by the wrist, pointing it away from Warpol as he scrambled to his feet, crying out for the guards. As they swept in, Sanji grabbed her other hand and kept them over her head.

"Doing this to people who don't deserve it ain't the right thing to do," he said as she frowned at him. "We don't know nothing here. We don't get to make those kinds of decisions randomly."

"It's obvious what kind of man he is, Sanji," Perona snapped. "No one will miss him here."

"That's not our decision to make! We came here to take what we needed and then leave," he protested as she jerked away, surprisingly strong for her size. She looked at the guards that had surrounded them as Warpol stood in the doorway. Sanji smelled something out of place, grabbing her arm and and hastily jumping to the side as a huge figure slammed into where they were just standing. As it righted itself, Sanji shoving Perona behind him, they were alarmed to see a beast wearing Dalton's clothing standing in front of him. The bullish head and horns stood out against the distinct colors of his armor, his hooves shifting on the rocky floor.

"You were _this close_ to having my life snuffed out, Dalton!" Warpol shouted at him. "They were assassins sent for my life! Take care of them!"

"You're a beast, too?" Perona asked on an awed gasp, the humanoid exhaling shortly as the beefy nose twitched. The smell of it was strong, permeating the air – giving her visions of fields and farms. She wanted to reach out and pet the thick, dark fur that sprouted up from around his collar, the tail twitching anxiously behind him. She was amazed to see another half man and beast right in front of her, a figment of artist imagination come to life. This beast was bigger than Zoro was in his form – but large and clumsy compared to his.

Sanji was awed, too, having never seen another beastman like Zoro. The smell that wafted from him wasn't threatening in any way, but he did smell traces of hesitation; the animal wasn't into attacking them whole heartedly. The next thing that caught his eye was the spear he held in one hand, stalking around them in an effort to keep them away from his king.

"Dalton!" Warpol shouted impatiently. "Get rid of them both! That girl is possessed by the devil! She has been sent here to punish me!"

"Yeah, that's it! By the order of the moon!" Perona shouted, twirling into some pose while Sanji looked confused at her hand gestures. "It sounds like you're an evil man, and I'm going to take care of you."

Warpol shivered as he quickly shoved other guards in front of him. Their apprehension was obvious as they all looked at her.

"She said she was responsible for the death of that colony," Warpol muttered, mainly to himself. "Those men with her must have only been pawns. She could be an incredible weapon for us to use – if you can, Dalton, take her alive. The other one can die."

"The only ones doing the dying around here will be you, old fool," Perona said with a haughty sniff.

Sanji pushed her behind him once again, saying impatiently to Warpol, "Challenging any of them people gonna be the death of you and anybody else wanting to try. Stand down. All we wanted from this here colony was food and supplies to continue north."

Warpol gave an incredulous laugh, slapping the shoulder of the guard standing close to him. "Boy, you're in my kingdom – Drum Peak is the name! There is a reason why I'm king! Haven't you heard the stories? Anyone challenging me will get munched!"

" _Ew_ , what a pervert," Perona muttered.

Warpol gave a sputter, looking outraged. "Take that back! I'm not pervert! A conqueror, a man of might! But no pervert!"

" _Ew_ , the ones in denial of it are the closet perverts…"

"Look, please," Dalton interrupted, his voice deep and low as he interrupted the exchange. "Let's settle this as peacefully as possible."

"There is _no_ peace!" Perona snapped at him, pushing Sanji aside. "You'll all step back, now. Or I turn all of you into my servants!"

Warpol sputtered again, face red. "You dumb kid! Dalton! Remove her head from her neck!"

"You don't even try," Sanji warned Dalton as the bull settled the spear in his hands. "Or I'll kick you flying through them walls."

"Just let me touch them, and it's all over!" Perona snarled, trying to move past him with her arm outstretched.

Dalton moved to charge as Warpol watched with delight. Sanji positioned himself in front of Perona to take any charge the bull made. He again saw the hesitation in the beast's eyes, so he took that his advantage; leaping up and whirling with a roundhouse that took the bull off his feet and into the left side wall. Warpol's eyes nearly bugged out of his head and he hastened off with a gaggle of guards around him as Dalton's large form cracked against the wall. Once he set down onto the floor, Sanji quickly caught Perona as she lunged at the fallen beast, dragging her back.

" _Wait_ ," he told her as she gave him an irritated look. The bull picked himself up with a shake of his big head and a mutter, hooves clacking against the stone floor. "Sir, please. Fighting us is a waste of time – "

"You're a threat to the king," Dalton said gruffly, brushing himself off and then looked at the wall with a sigh. "You made me break the map, kid. Did you know these paints were imported from a place where tangerines grow and sell at 5.19 a pound? You can get a discount with casino chips, instead."

"What a useless deal!" Perona and Sanji exclaimed before they caught themselves.

"As Royal Guardsman, I will have to put you down. Cooperate, and it shouldn't be that bad."

"Touching her will be the worst deal you could make," Sanji said. "We're not here to cause trouble – we just needed supplies to move north. That's it."

All three of them stumbled as an immense rumble caused the castle to rattle dangerously, tilting to the side. People outside began to scream in panic as debris rained down onto the streets below, causing a noticeable clamor.

"Damn," Dalton muttered. Seeing that he was distracted, Sanji grabbed Perona's hand and hurried out the door with her. Warpol spotted them, in the process of being dressed in combat armor.

"DALTON!" he shrieked as Sanji headed in the opposite direction, Perona protesting noisily.

Her legs nearly gave out from under her so he hoisted her up onto his back, carrying her that way. She gave a relieved sigh, feeling terribly exhausted.

"Oh, man, you're right!" she huffed. "Just doing all that made me so tired!"

"I'll find you a safe place to rest, then go and calm the others," Sanji said, hearing Warpol shout after them. He took a narrow stairway down onto the next level, guards running after him with warnings to shoot if he didn't stop. Taking another corridor, he used his sense of smell to find a massive hallway that clearly belonged to the castle's occupants. Rooms with grand style bedrooms started to up to them, and he found one that looked flowery enough for Perona's taste.

She sighed with relief as he carefully deposited her onto a bed, and helped her take her boots off. The guards' voices in the background warned him that they were nearing them, so once he tucked her into the bed, he left the room cautiously, seeing them look from room to room. They caught sight of him and he raced to the other end of the hall, shouting at Perona to run faster. It gave them the thought that she was ahead of him so they started firing. He ducked, leaping down the short stairway and finding himself near an open hallway with a balcony overlooking what looked like a courtyard.

At that moment Luffy shot into view, swinging from castle's eaves on his search for the kitchen. Behind him an explosion took to the air, Kid's cackle alerting Sanji to his presence. With a roll of his eyes he continued running down the length of the balcony, the guards firing at him in vain. Once he had the chance he shifted form, leaving his clothes behind. The guards rounded the edge and grew puzzled at the sight of them before dashing about madly, looking for him. Once they were gone, the fennec fox quickly raced back the length of the balcony, hopping up onto the wooden railing to observe the scene. He called for Luffy's attention, the teen in mid-swing upward to catch sight of him.

" _Sanji_!" Luffy shouted with glee. He stretched out then shot forward to slice through the air, slamming into the stone wall behind the fox, who ducked quickly to avoid being hit. Luffy picked himself up, chuckling weakly. He grabbed the fox and held him up. " _Sniff_ , Sanji! Find the kitchen for me!"

With a tired squeak, Sanji gave into his command.


	25. Chapter 25

**Naghi-Tan** : A lot of mysteries! Will they ever be explored in this fic?...I don't even know. D:

 **Happy Balon** : Sanji knows where the food is! Luffy can rely on him for that. Perona is a not so secret fangirl – she probably has written her own fanfiction somewhere.

 **: : Twenty Five**

Once the dungeon area was destroyed, all of them moved into separate directions. Law could only shake his head in exasperation as he watched Luffy punch his way out, careening out into the open in search of food. Kid was pulling his weight by taking out as many as the guards as possible – a noticeable difference in his abilities due to his physical weakness. Zoro somehow got lost in the scuffle, and Law had no idea where he was.

He made his way into the castle, easily bypassing all the alarmed guards that suddenly started showing up from nowhere. His goal was obtaining food and then getting some rest – he didn't care what the others did. Evening set in and the castle was essentially abandoned as the battle took place in the streets. He'd taken advantage of the chaos to clean up, find some nifty clothes, took a blessed nap and went in search of the kitchen. The place was a level in itself, and it boasted of windows that were only shuttered, allowing plenty of the cold mountain air in. He could see his breath when he exhaled, the chill stronger than it was down in the desert. He opened up one of the windows to reveal broad space that looked out over the front courtyard, the ledge outside decorated with vines that curled up from the flowerboxes below. He could see everything from this position, which made it suitable for his current needs.

The night sparkled with an occasional explosion, screams of the people ringing out. Buildings had toppled, and he was sure the Marines would have been proud of their projects. Two of them alone had taken down the kingdom on whatever reserves they had.

He had no idea where Perona was, but he didn't see zombies on the streets so he assumed she'd found a place to sleep somewhere. He found that Luffy had already been here, eating anything that was already cooked and leaving behind empty platters and pans. He found some scraps to eat, chewing on some unidentified bird leg he found underneath a pile of bones with Luffy's teethmarks all over them. He ate that as he watched the chaos down below. He watched as a single line of one story houses collapsed under a force, and realized that it had been Luffy. He was surprised someone could hit him that hard but then he watched a large, overweight man with purple hair scramble up after him, screaming about damage caused to the crown.

"That's Warpol," Sanji said as he came up behind him, and Law almost choked because he hadn't even sensed him approach. Seeing his dilemma, Sanji swatted him hard between the shoulder blades, and Law spit out the chunk he'd accidently inhaled. "That's the king. It seems like whatever he eats he takes on – so he ate some type of cannon. Luffy's got a hard task with him."

Wiping his face, Law frowned down as the rubber boy climbed to his feet and was back into the air, firing down some of his attacks on the man that only screamed in alarm. He went essentially unharmed, his skin glinting silver under the streetlights that fluttered. He spit out three cannonballs before hollering for a reload – Luffy couldn't avoid the last one, blasted straight through another building as a pair of guards hastily pulled a cart towards Warpol, giving him an opportunity to swallow more cannonballs whole.

Law was interested in how this man was able to do that – what sort of science allowed a man to take on various transformations and use his body as a useful weapon. Cannonballs bulleted the area Luffy had disappeared within, causing a series of explosions that sent rock and debris flying.

"Kid's out," Sanji reported. "He's unconscious somewhere in that space right there."

"Not dead?" Law asked with disappointment, earning a swat to the head. He glared down at the other man as Sanji walked away, shaking his. He found himself pausing in whatever next thought came to his head because the tunic and flashes of white pants presented a totally different person from the one he was already familiar with. It hid most of his lower shape so it was a shame not seeing those long legs but the color and cut made it seem like Sanji had just stepped away from his own castle. He swallowed uncomfortably, looking at his half-finished bird leg as his own body seemed to ache. He wanted to touch Sanji, but he didn't know how.

"Zoro's lost – he didn't even have to use his beast form to win. Perona's asleep in one of the bedrooms upstairs. Ussop's out looking for Zoro."

"I didn't ask for any updates on any of those guys."

"They're our companions, we should know about them," Sanji muttered as he opened the fridge, awed at the content that had remained after Luffy's departure. He pulled out various items, filling his arms before depositing them onto the long counter within the center of the kitchen. Law chewed on the remains of his bird leg, watching Luffy reappear majestically from the mess. He was growing angry with Warpol's stubbornness, and Law was sure if Luffy just stood back to think about his tactics, it'd make the battle a whole lot easier. But Luffy was never one to strategize these things – he relied on hand to hand fighting in order to succeed.

He remembered how many times the Marines had to repair the training rooms because of it. Luffy was strong and near indestructible, with an unbelievable stubbornness to him that made him a scary opponent. He didn't walk away until he won. Law never wanted to be standing opposite of him when it came down to it, but he didn't want to be the kid's friend, either.

A flurry of fast moving fists rendered the area around Warpol into rubble, and the man stumbled back, his guards racing away for their own safety. It sounded as if Luffy were hitting metal whenever his fists happened to connect – the ring of impact vibrating through the dust. Warpol was clumsy and awkward, and he rolled away to use the dust for cover.

Sanji rejoined him sometime later, the stove occupied with various pots and something that smelled delicious. The spices made him think of the venison stew Sanji had been admiring that one night.

"That's Dalton," Sanji then said, pointing down below. Law saw that tall head guard that had helped bring them in ushering townspeople into a safe evacuation away from the battle. A horde of people with meager belongings and scared faces bypassed the castle grounds and disappearing somewhere else into the city. "He's that guy's bodyguard. Warpol got mad at him for not protecting him, and shot him. Surprised he's still alive."

Law looked at him, detecting a tone of admiration in Sanji's words. He didn't like the soft look on his face as he watched the guards work, and straightened away from the window. "I thought I'd mentioned that I did not like my things taken from me."

Sanji rolled his eyes. "Shut your sauce box up."

"If he's half dead already, then it'd make sense to put him out of his misery, then."

Sanji pulled him away from the window, saying, "When Warpol was telling Luffy who he was, he mentioned that he'd taken over this colony from a previous ruler. Dalton was that man's friend. When Warpol dies, Dalton will take over. So you _can't_ kill him."

"Then stop looking at him with such admiration."

"What you want me to look at him with? A stupid face like yours?"

Law mimicked him meanly, glaring out the window. Dalton was long gone now, and Warpol was eating what looked like part of a blacksmith's anvil. He elongated to take on the appearance of one, metal teeth chomping noisily as Luffy staggered after him. Warpol spit out what he hadn't yet chewed, then charged – his small legs were surprisingly fast as he slammed into Luffy, sending the boy flying.

"Watching this is just pathetic," Law muttered as he turned away to walk back to the counter, looking for more scraps to eat. Sanji stood at the window for a few minutes just to see Luffy catch himself, set himself firmly into the street and catch Warpol as he charged again. Arms wrapped around the screaming man, Luffy twisted into a tight coil before releasing – whirling the man into dizzying speed before letting him go. Warpol flew completely over the debris left behind of their battle and disappeared somewhere beyond the castle wall. Moments later Sanji heard the sound of collapsing structures and more screaming. He then saw that Luffy was stuck, struggling to pull his feet out from the street.

"Idiot," he muttered. He wondered if he should go down to help him when a shadow staggered out from the street debris off to the left. Ussop was dragging Zoro behind him in a hay wagon, the wolf snoring loudly. When Ussop caught sight of Luffy, Luffy said something to him that caused Ussop a shout of exasperation. Zoro was dumped out into the street, and the rude awakening caused the wolf some muttering before he saw what was going on. He helped loosen Luffy from the street, the rubber boy then using him as a sturdy jump off point to chase after Warpol. Ussop climbed into the hay wagon and collapsed into it as Zoro stretched. He picked himself up from the street and started walking after Luffy, yawning noisily. It was predictable to see him venture into a completely off direction from where Luffy had gone.

Sanji leaned out the window to shout and catch his attention, pointing to where Luffy had gone. Zoro headed in that direction with a gesture of his hands, and Sanji wondered if he should enter the fray at all. As far as he was concerned, Luffy had Warpol handled – whatever this had turned into, it wasn't something that Sanji felt required his interference.

He sighed heavily, turning to look at Law. The man had cleaned up, shaved, and found a dark blue jacket with white lining and straps to pull over a vest with a similar design, a high collar shirt with white buttons and jodhpur-like pants that had zippers crossing over his thighs. He hated to admit it, but it made him feel like he was facing some highly decorated officer, the accompanying sword adding to the picture. Law was handsome in a sense but he made Sanji feel uneasy to admit it because of the situation swirling around them. He couldn't understand why the man looked at him so hungrily when he could easily find someone more fitting to his image.

'Hungry', but it was apparent Law didn't know what to do with that appetite. It was both irritating and relieving in that Sanji could feel safe with him not making the demands he was used to, but exasperating because maybe he wanted those demands.

He cleared his throat before saying, "You were looking for maps, right? Warpol has a room full of them."

"Of the area?"

"The world. Come, that'll take awhile to cook."

"Were you able to find your island?" Law asked with interest.

"For a smart man, you sure forget a lot."

"Right. It's inconvenient when you're that uneducated."

"For a man that says these types of things, you sure ain't getting anything right," Sanji muttered with a slight shake of his head. Their footfalls was the only sound made in the hall, and Law felt his expression pull into a sour scowl.

Since the electricity was out, Sanji lit the candles positioned around the room until Law was able to see all of it. The maps weren't giving him any images of those he was familiar with; the one at his feet showed off four different sections of planes that gave no distinguishing shape to the world map he was used to. He guessed that none of the towns from two hundred years ago would make it through this time, so he had no way to determine just what part of the world was painted down at his feet. The ones at the walls detailed smaller settlements with miles of open space between them – a single line between places was determined as a 'road', and the names that he read were more of a description than an actual title.

It felt like another slap in the face to see all of this; to know that everything he'd known and learned had been useless. It was similar to a loss of a home, of the ground from underneath his feet. The group of them hadn't known exactly where they were – what state they were in, what part of the country they were from; they were locked in a bunker and never allowed out. So he wasn't even sure what part of the country they were currently standing in, now. This was an entirely new world but deceptively familiar because it was still the same planet. The oceans had even lost their names and were rendered with direction only. At the same time he told himself this was only one map – the man in charge of it might have only commissioned to have it rendered the way he wanted.

He found the appropriate wall that captured their very location and the surrounding areas. The "colony by the sea" was only that – with a blank wall around the area where the colony had stood. He found the ferry that Sanji had mentioned – it crossed a lake that was almost oceanic itself with how wide it was. The direction in which the ferry was pointing had a single colony labeled on a cliff.

"Are you sure you hadn't crossed a lake, instead?" Law asked Sanji as he searched the blue for any sign of any occupation. But while the map was surrounded with blue to indicate the ocean, there wasn't any continuation of this side of the world.

Sanji stood next to him with a frown, squinting at the wall. He pointed off the map, tracing a trail with his fingertip. "It was this ocean because I had landed _here_. That lake doesn't connect with any part of the ocean. Warpol said it's gone, now. Said the island is all blowed up."

"'Blown'," Law corrected. "How does he know that?"

"How does he know where any of this stuff is?" Sanji asked instead, examining the length of the map, curious as to how big of an island they were on. This part of the land had broken away from the mainland, he knew. But it was truly the first time he'd seen it as a whole. There were many colonies listed by image near the sea, and others scattered across the ranges where water was pictured. To know that there were so many people living out there was a wondrous one.

Because Sanji was right about that, Law couldn't say anything more about it. He pointed at their current location, Warpol's insignia emblazoned there brightly. "From here to there would take a few days' travel. The ferry leads across the lake to this single location here. Alabasta."

"Don't know that town."

It all welled up at once – all the numbness of being out of their element, the novelty of a new world, the fact that he hadn't any idea what his goal was. He set his sword aside and leaned against the map with his forearms baring the weight, his forehead settled against his clasped hands. He tried to steady himself, feeling the race of his heart as he truly understood that they were stuck here in a life they knew absolutely nothing about. Their earlier goal was to win a war – now they had absolutely nothing but a vague idea that what they'd left behind wasn't what they wanted.

Having no idea where to go, or what to do made him feel helpless.

Sanji was aware that Law was going through something, and stood quietly nearby. He could hear the rumble of more collapsing structures outside, and the castle shook gently. He studied the map with a curious expression, wondering where the rest of it was. He would have to rely on Law to read everything to him, but he knew not to ask now. He wanted to believe Warpol's statement of his hometown being lost. He knew Law's mind was set on going there but he wasn't sure what the other man's overall goal was. The others wanted to make a name for themselves by proving their strength, but it seemed to Sanji that Law's was only to understand how the world worked. Considering the length of travel and the obstacles in between, he wondered if that were realistic.

"All places probably be like this one, anyway," he murmured, turning to examine the other walls. Looking for places in the ocean that could possibly be his old home.

Law straightened up from the wall with a harsh inhale. He struggled to re-align his thoughts to fit the situation of today, to focus on the small steps that steadily took them away from the bunker. They'd all wanted _out_ – maybe it wasn't in the place they wanted, but they were _out_.

Maybe back then things would be this way, too. Struggling to fit into society, building their own cages around themselves as the result of their unexperienced choices. It was still frustrating to think that they wouldn't be accepted anywhere.

"Here, what's this one?" Sanji asked him from the other wall, reaching out and touching a spot that drew Law's attention. Leaving his sword, he crossed the world map at his feet and joined him, seeing him point to a spot that looked suspiciously as if someone had scratched it off the map. The letters were illegible. It was within the ocean, but with the formation of the land mass above it, Law couldn't imagine what part of the world this could possibly be.

"It's been deliberately scratched off, I can't read it," he muttered, brushing away remains of dust and paint.

Sanji nodded. "It might've been that one."

"It doesn't make sense because it doesn't connect with that one, there. It's like that idiot had these maps plastered randomly!" Law said with frustration, looking down at the world map. The shapes on the wall didn't match up to those on the floor. He began searching for Warpol's insignia. Once he found it, he crouched to compare that land mass to the one on the wall. He discovered that this maps were still uncompleted – these images were only of those that were known areas, and nothing as a whole. There was still uncharted land out there. He exhaled shakily, reaching up to rub at a mounting headache.

"If it's gone, it's gone," Sanji said, frowning at the sight of the nearly missing island. Someone had made big effort to eliminate it, and he felt a small joy in the possibility that it truly was gone. He couldn't imagine how. He looked back at the man. "You could always go and ask that guy about it."

Law straightened away from the floor as he considered the idea. Then he thought about how tenacious Luffy was – he looked to Sanji. "Go bring Dalton here."

Sanji gave him a look.

"If he's the bodyguard, he'd know this type of information. Interrupting Luffy right now would be a pain."

"Let's wait until things are settled," Sanji said, walking over to retrieve his sword. "He won't be going anywhere. _We're_ not going anywhere."

It was irritating to have to wait for his answers, but it made sense. He looked over the map once more, committing things to memory. He crossed his arms stiffly as Sanji waited quietly at his side, letting him think.

After a few moments, he said, "Now that you saw the map, where will you go?"

"I'm going with you." Sanji then amended himself quickly. " _All_ of you."

"What made you change your mind?" Law asked, a little startled after the fight Sanji had put up about it. Sanji shrugged. "Because you think your home is gone?"

"I'd decided before I knew that." Sanji then looked at him sharply. "So don't mess it up."

It made Law feel a little happier knowing that Sanji would continue with them without being forced to. He felt it on his face. There was something significant about it that made enduring the unknown of this world a little easier. Sanji frowned at him because he could _feel_ that the other man was cheered by it, but it was frustrating not getting anything more than that. A familiar sense of tension rose up at that moment, and he acknowledged wanting to have it expressed with some sort of physical gesture. He did want it.

He waited for something more to come from it, but Law walked on with his sword over one shoulder. Sanji looked after him with a shake of his head, then followed.

"I'm going to ask that man if he has anything here worthy of information from then," Law said as they headed back to the kitchen. "I'll have some time before everyone recovers from their foolish endeavors to prove themselves."

"Guess you don't feel a need to?" Sanji questioned almost snidely as he caught the scents coming from the open windows and those from the kitchen.

"I don't need to prove anything. This is their idea. I told them to wait."

"No one needs to listen to you, you're not the boss."

"But I have the better ideas."

"They'll wanna break away from your 'better ideas' and then what you do?" Sanji asked as he tried not to react negatively. "You'll have no one to boss around but yaself."

"I don't have to worry about that for now. They'll go wherever you go, and it's already established that you'll be with me."

"Sometimes that arrogance is just…"

"I'm done taking orders. No one tells me what to do, anymore. Every decision I make, it's my own and for my own reasons. There's no reason for anyone to tell me what to do."

Sanji paused in mid-step to give him a look that Law found puzzling. It had a weight to it that he didn't recognize, and he paused as well to wait for Sanji to say something to accompany it. Sanji then gave a slight shake of his head and an exasperated breath that turned into a chuckle. He continued on to the kitchen, and Law was at a complete blank as to what that meant. He reviewed the conversation in his head as he slowly followed after him, wondering what he'd missed.

Once in the kitchen, he watched as Sanji fiddled with the bubbling pots on the stove, dropping in various spices from shakers and stirring with a ladle. "What was that about?"

"Ya just made it very clear I'm gonna be waiting for awhile."

Law set his sword aside, hearing the incoming whistle of something coming their way. Sanji heard it as well, turning to look at the window with apprehension. Warpol was headed straight for the tower, screaming with horror. He cringed because he expected impact.

Law switched Warpol out with a piece of debris from the streets below, catching the rock as it sailed through the window. He set it down as silence descended over the area.

Luffy's enraged, " _LAW_!" filled in through the windows from somewhere down below. Sanji opened his eyes, straightening to see that nothing had happened.

" _DON'T GET IN THE WAY_!"

Understanding the situation, Sanji rushed over to the window and shouted, "Don't send your trash this way when I got food cooking!"

"OH! _AWESOME_! THANKS, SANJI! SORRY 'BOUT THAT!"

Sanji wasn't sure where Luffy was shouting from, but his tone had certainly changed when food was mentioned. Warpol looked confused as he rose from the ground, dusting himself off. His comically puzzled expression as to how he avoided certain injury and impact spoke volumes.

"Wait for what?" Law asked.

Fiddling with the ladle, Sanji regrouped himself before returning to the stove to focus on what he was doing. "For you to get a single clue."

"I don't understand."

"I don't think it's my place to tell ya what to do, but I ain't going to force it, either. Guess it's just up to you to figure it out."

Law stared at him with an absolutely clueless expression. He had no idea how the conversation had switched to such a baffling turn. Sanji finished stirring and turned around to see him with such a lost expression that he laughed. He set aside the ladle and checked the contents in the oven, basting the animal with the runoff juices and grease that bubbled around it. Then he shut the door, taking the few steps necessary to him.

He bit his lower lip so that he wouldn't be laughing in the man's face, struggling to keep his mouth controlled. Once he recognized that effort, Law gave him a tired frown because he knew Sanji had just tried to trick him into making some sort of fool of himself.

"You had such a panicked look to your dumb face, I couldn't help it," Sanji laughed.

"It's not funny."

Sanji kissed him quickly, checking his reaction to settle his nerves. Law was wearing that same bewildered look, flushing brightly from his cheeks to his ears. It was an honest reaction apart from the usual expressions he had, and it made Sanji feel good to know that he could affect him this way. It was nice to see the older man rattled. He reached up to hold onto his jacket and kissed him again, waiting for him to say or do anything in response. He did like the feeling of excitement and warmth that shot through him upon the contact, his own breath quickening as his senses became sharper. It almost felt like he was coming into heat again, firing up from deep inside of him as his instincts delighted in being able to express his own affection.

Just as he grew brave enough to use his tongue, something inside of him twinged. A sensation of fright dashed all that building warmth away, and fleeting memory of the night Law had used "physical discouragement" to control his heat rushed to the forefront. The images weren't very good but the emotions and the pain was, and Sanji could feel them as strongly as he'd felt back then. He yanked away with a start, pushing for distance as it built in his ears and made his chest hurt. He looked at the flustered man with frozen action, struggling to quell the conflicting feelings that made his limbs numb.

He then hastily turned away, stumbling a little as he made his way back to the stove.

Law looked after him with a disturbed expression. He was just experiencing something incredibly significant, filling him with new emotions and building curiosity for more – but to see that expression directed to him made him think of exactly how Sanji had looked at him that night. He must have remembered it somehow, and Law knew it was his own fault. His ears rushed with a ringing sound, anger and frustration building up inside of him. For a few moments he breathed hard, struggling to put things back into order but that physical contact was something that he'd needed. Something that fit the rising unrest that he'd felt every time he looked at the other man. He was embarrassed that all those 'silly' movie feelings the others talked about was an accurate depiction of things that just happened between two people but at the same time, he was angry at Sanji for suddenly disregarding it just like that.

He strode after him, startling him with his approach. He grabbed him by his hair and shoulder to hold him in place, smashing his mouth against his to recreate that earlier feeling. Sanji struggled to get away from him, pushing against his face and chest to get some space between them. They banged up against the stove, rattling pots atop of the burners. Just as he managed to pull his head back, Law bit him in the cheek, then jaw.

A wild sense of terror hit Sanji again, blinding his common sense. It seemed like a part of him wanted to respond but his limbs felt paralyzed by fear. Rational thought left his head, leaving behind only instinct. He felt the scrape of Law's goatee against his sensitive flesh and could smell all the overpowering scents of his agitation, aggression and pent up want. It was almost frightening how quickly he lost his head when normally he would be inclined to fight back at the snap of a hat. Law's mouth moved over his, pinching his lips against his teeth, their teeth clacking painfully; Sanji's legs were like jelly, and he reached behind him to support himself as the man's fingers tightened on him.

Law was like an animal himself, and Sanji wasn't sure how to control him at this point. He stopped pushing at him, hearing distressed noises leave him but he wasn't sure if they were words. Law kept his head in place but his other hand dropped from Sanji's shoulder to his waist to pull him close up against his body. His mouth left his and went to his neck, and Sanji shivered because he was getting so wrapped up in the aggression that he felt that every part of body had grown too sensitive. He felt Law's teeth sink into the delicate tendons at his neck, his skin growing wet with his saliva, and he felt Law's fingers kneading into his waist with such strength that Sanji knew he was going to have bruises. He could smell and feel the other man's arousal, and it surprised him to feel his own starting to return. He was wondering _why_ because he felt like he was being mauled; crammed against the stove edge with nowhere to go and hands and mouth all over him. He was being slobbered over and bitten, but he'd lost his mind to rational thought at the start and there was no hope of it returning soon.

Before he could respond in any way, Law pushed away from him. Sanji didn't get a chance to say anything because he was then hauled up and over his shoulder and they were leaving the kitchen.


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: I honestly cannot see an ending to this! So maybe it'll go on forever ; _ ;**

 **Sarge1130:** I was partially inspired by Mad Max D: The four 'ultimate weapons' might be mighty but they're actually pretty big children – which makes a lot of things difficult for everyone. They were trained to be one thing and for one use but now that they're exploring themselves and growing, it's apparent that there are many aspects missing in their individual growth – and sensitive stomachs lol As the oldest, Law had grown sneakier and manipulative once he realized how the Marines work, but when something doesn't go to his favor, he tends to lash out (the library incident) while Kid isn't afraid to just walk up and throw a fit upon being displeased. But when it comes to affection – both of them are clearly lacking and don't know what to do. Thank you for reviewing each chapter – waking up to the notifications on your binges are great!

 **Nattsubuhanabi:** Thank you! :D

 **Naghi-Tan:** Yep, those particular memories are still there, however small. Both of them do but their circumstances keep them from truly giving into it. Sanji thinks Law is a modern savage while Law doesn't understand why Sanji just doesn't give in and do what he wants. Ahhh…it's complicated. (Good for me!) At the end of the chapter, things will change for Sanji and Zoro; it won't be the same. D:

 **: : Twenty Six**

Sanji felt paralyzed, his limbs lacking strength as his mind seemed to ring over and over with some overwhelming fear of being hurt if he tried to move. It was foreign to feel this way, but some parts of him kept seeing grainy images of Law beating him for moving. Meanwhile other parts of him wanted so much of this contact so each warring instinct kept clashing together, rendering his thoughts a mess.

His body knew what it wanted but he couldn't quite vocalize it; it was as if he were awaiting permission to give it. With his back up against the wall, they were in the narrow corridor just outside of the hall, and he could hear the noises of the battle from the open windows nearby. It was cold, so their breath was visible. Common sense wanted him to direct this action to a more private place, somewhere warm, but the words were lost in his throat. His tunic was pulled up around his chest, exposing him from nipples down. His arms were directed to hold it out of the way, and he did so clumsily. The other man's mouth was moving over his exposed flesh, his needy hands feeling over Sanji's legs.

Sanji exhaled shortly, fingers curled tightly within the material he held. His body responded hotly to the feeling of Law's lips and teeth scraping over his skin; Sanji could hear him breathing hard, his exploration over Sanji's torso leaving no inch unscathed. Sanji tightened up at the feel of his skin being clutched lightly by eager teeth, smoothed over by rushed kisses moments after. He had a feeling Law wasn't going to stop until he was satisfied, and that made him both eager and frightened.

Because the castle was so empty, every sound from outside was intensely loud, echoing throughout the massive halls in a dull echo. As Law's mouth found Sanji's hips, moving over bone and skin with tense grips of his fingers to steady Sanji against the wall, Sanji felt the tension in his arms start to relax. His body was so used to receiving pleasure that it seemed to move without his conscious effort. He still hadn't received permission to move so he kept himself still and it seemed disappointing to do so. He could teach the man to physically love him properly if Law would just let him.

Law's hands then moved to the waistband of his pants and just clung there. He lavished attention to Sanji's bellybutton, making Sanji quiver a bit before he steadied himself. For a moment it seemed like Law didn't know what to do from there – releasing his pants to once again stroke over his legs before moving back up the length of his body and returning to Sanji's mouth. Sanji reasoned that no injury would occur if Law was being this attentive to him, so he released his tunic to reach up to touch him. He could feel a lessening of pressure that came as Sanji responded to him. This made him more eager to experience more, feeling hot from the inside out as his limbs lost that paralyzed pressure.

Sanji showed him how to use his tongue, his fingers curling up into Law's messy hair, clutching handfuls as he pressed his body up against his. Law's hands went to Sanji's waist and then moving down to hold his hips against his, Sanji bumping against the wall with his shoulders as their feet stumbled over each other's. He released Law's hair to find the buttons of his shirt and vest, pulling the material aside to feel the other man for himself. His eager fingers found the hard width of his bare chest, skirting over a muscled stomach before settling at his hips, encouraging movement against the erection he felt poking against his stomach. He reached down there and flattened his hand against the length, tasting Law's relieved exhale into his mouth.

Sanji teased him over his pants, stroking his palm against his erection then giving light squeezes. His mind was in a frenzy – his body knew what it wanted, and it was what he only wanted _right now_. His thoughts were scattered, not thinking too deeply into things. The only thing that mattered right here and now was that both of them needed relief. The visible exhalations of their breath intermingled as they pulled apart, something crumbling noisily in the distance. Luffy yelled out something that went unregistered, the castle walls shuddering lightly as an intense rumble built up from the windows to their right. If either had looked, they would have seen an oversized man separating into two, flying off into the night with combined shouts of defeat.

Quickly pushing Law's pants down to the floor, Sanji took his dick into his mouth. Law released a loud groan, bending over slightly over his back as Sanji sucked in the length noisily. He generated enough spit to allow a fast and slick twisting of one hand while the other pushed his hair back from his face with a hurried swipe. Sure there was enough lather left behind on Law's eager length, Sanji struggled to pull at his own pants. Law helped him, pulling up his tunic just to see what he was doing. Sanji managed to kick a leg free of boot and pants, still moving his hand over Law's spit covered dick. Before standing, he spit what he had left onto Law's dick before turning around to face the wall. Bracing himself against it with one arm, he used the other to guide the man's dick to his ass.

Clumsily Law assisted, his breath coming hot and fast against Sanji's neck. Once he entered Sanji, he gave a jumbled curse as sensation like none other filled him. Sanji wiggled his hips, standing on his tip toes just to allow him in. Without any stretching before hand it hurt and he tensed, his breath coming short as Law figured out how to continue this endeavor while slow inching up into him.

It made Sanji cry out a few times as Law entered him, breathing harshly as he braced himself against the wall with both hands. He could feel the man's dick throbbing deep inside of him, heat and length filling him in such a way that tears burned at his eyes. But he reached back with a hand on his hip to encourage Law to continue, his toes cold on the stone floor. Once Law was in deep inside of him, both of them panted noisily as if just finishing a hard race. Sanji adjusted to the invasion while forcing himself to take slow, deep breaths, braced against the wall with one hand. The other stayed on Law's hip, ready to give a signal. Law leaned in against him, arms curling so tight around Sanji's chest that he found himself supporting most of their weight by leaning against the wall. His tunic was pulled up so that their bare bodies could touch, back to front. Both of them sought warmth from each other's hot skin, their breath coming out as white puffs in the chill of the air.

Sanji jostled his hip, pulling up and forward. His calves ached, but Law straightened himself to hold onto his hips, keeping his dick steady inside of him. Any other movement would cause him to slip out, so Sanji was careful not to allow it to happen. He started the rhythm, palms flat against the wall. He showed Law how it should be done, and the man learned the right movement, following his hips. Once he was sure he could do this his thrusts became hard, and Sanji had to focus on bracing himself to catch the action.

He cried out gustily as he rocked on his toes, his back arching against the other man. Law eked out short grunts and curses, the clap of skin against skin noisy in the otherwise empty corridor. Sanji pushed away from the wall, reaching back behind him to wrap an arm around Law's neck to steady himself. His head tilted back against the man's shoulder as he rode with him, Law holding tightly onto his hips to keep the rhythm going. Sanji could tell that the man's inexperience was coming to light; he could feel it in the hard, uncoordinated thrusts, the way his dick seemed to expand deep inside of him. His other hand reached for his own dick, and he stroked himself hard and fast just to get his end of the deal.

Their movement brought them up against the wall, and he braced himself against it with his free shoulder. He was coming quick, gritting his teeth as Law drove into him. Sanji came into his own hand with a loud groan, his body settling back against Law's as his legs shook dangerously. Capturing his load, he tightened his hold on Law's neck, reaching behind himself. He eased his ass up just enough to rub his cum onto Law's dick, the extra lubrication allowing the older man to push back into him with a curse. His balls slapping against Sanji, Law pounded up into him, seeking the release that seemed just out of reach. Sanji's fingers pulled at the back of his head, his other arm moving to reach around Law's ass to grip a cheek. The combination of touches finally led to Law slamming up into him one more time, coming with muttered "fuck, fuck, _fuck_!" that was released against the back of Sanji's head. Both of them pushed up against the wall again, Sanji settling his full weight back onto his feet while his calves trembled. Breathing heavily, both of them rested there for a moment. Both of them had hearts racing at what seemed like a thousand miles per hour, pounding hard against sweaty chests; audible to each other. His sweat dripping on Sanji's neck and shoulders, Law stood still for several seconds, trying to get his thoughts back into order. Eventually the cold chill in the air prompted them to move again, Sanji reaching back to pull his dick out of his ass and resettling against the wall with a loud sigh of content.

His legs shaking, Law stood with his hands braced against Sanji's hips, staring at the ridge of the man's spine. Once he was sure his legs would cooperate, he pulled Sanji's tunic back down over him, and then wrapped his arms around the other man to hold him close. He could feel Sanji's heart thumping noisily against his ribs, the other man's combined scents from sex filling his senses. For these rushed minutes, Law felt calm descend over him. A strange sort of calm that pushed away all the building frustration and anger that he felt day to day, and quieted the negative feeling of helplessness that tended to be overwhelming when it appeared. For this short amount of time he only had to focus on the man in front of him and be ultra-aware of _only_ him.

Sanji sensed all this – all that angry activity that often whirled around the man seemed missing, replaced by an unfamiliar vulnerability. It was so profound that he felt he couldn't say anything; overwhelming because it only made things that much harder between them. But it was cold and his balls were freezing – he could feel himself leaking. He pulled out of Law's grasp, retrieving his pants.

"That was nice for your first time," Sanji said awkwardly. "But there's a time an' place for these types of things. No more touchin' out in the open."

Immediately, Law felt like he was being dressed down. Disregarded – for Sanji not to understand that any type of closeness were things he wasn't allowed to have and render his feelings and clumsy touches as something that was 'inappropriate' made that anger and frustration return. He pulled up his pants.

"Oh, right, I should be waiting for the full moon so it's _appropriate_ to respond," Law retorted.

Sanji stiffened. "I just meant – "

"You started this."

"I ain't gonna apologize for kissing you. It felt right."

"Is that how it is with all your suitors?" Law asked nastily, rebuttoning his shirt. "It just felt right?"

Sanji just stared at him. He then said, "I ain't gonna fight with you."

"You weren't saying 'no'."

"Would you have let me?"

"…No."

"Then what's the point?" Sanji fiddled with his pants, the tunic giving him some warmth; but the cold still managed to find its way in. "I ain't saying this was a bad thing, it just – "

"I'll do what I want _when_ I want. Like I told you before, nobody tells me what to do."

"That's how them Marines done with ya, so I guess it makes sense you repeat their ideals," Sanji retorted, turning to walk away with a shake of his head. Law looked after him with a scowl. "When you gonna learn to be your own person?"

"So I act like you and turn the other cheek? Pretend that the things that happened didn't?" Law asked, moving after him then stumbling as he discovered that one of his pants legs were caught on his boot. He wiggled about to dislodge it.

"I just don't want to be like those that dumped on me. I refuse to do that to another person."

"So that makes you better than me, doesn't it?"

Sanji turned to face him. "I'm no better than anyone. But I do appreciate what's set in front of me."

"Everything that wasn't in my reach I'm taking now, _now_ that I have an advantage to do so! If that means taking advantage of this, of you, I'm going to. Whether you have anything to say to it or not. I chose you until the day I decide I'm done with you."

Sanji's jaw tensed as Law finally paused in front of him. He let the words roll around in his thoughts until he nodded. "Yeah, I figured that," he said to Law bitterly. "But while I'm here, I'll still give you everything I got. You won't starve while you in front of me. Now, I got food still cookin'. Leave me be."

He turned and walked off while Law stood there, feeling a different sort of fury take place of his earlier anger. He hit the wall, then turned and stalked off to find his sword.

: :

The morning light illuminated the damage caused to the colony by the fighting. Where stone buildings once stood were now rows of rubble, the streets covered in debris. Warpol was down, lying unconscious in the midst of rubble. Luffy was snoring a short distance away, unrecognizable by the coating of dust, smoke and injury.

Zoro frowned over the scene as he sat at Luffy's head. He did feel a little bad for the mess they'd caused – but it appeared that they'd come in for food and supplies and managed to overthrow an entire regime with one battle. It was impressive how quick and easy it had been; one moment he was fighting his way into the castle to retrieve the swords Sanji had left behind for him in one of the front rooms (he could smell them) and the next he was taking out two of Warpol's 'greatest warriors'. It had been fun and exciting for Zoro, having never entered a true battle before. The pair had combined themselves into one opponent and he'd taken them down with his own swords without having to revert forms. It gave him an ego-boost; it supported his want to actually do more of this type of battle just to see what else he was capable of. Just a week ago he was a lowly subject that survived off scraps and here he was helping a group of dudes annihilate a single regime. It was an amazing feeling.

He had no idea where everyone else was. He knew they were fine; these were some tough guys, and it was only two of them. Kid had basically annihilated an entire army himself while Luffy took care of a powerful king. He was absolutely impressed with Kid's determination and might – he was the one that disarmed the whole army of their weaponry, brought down their vehicles and forced every individual down onto the ground to prevent from being shot at. Luffy found Warpol in the castle and brought him out – there was an entire conversation held about what Warpol was capable of, what he brought to the place and this and that - Zoro wasn't interested. Luffy wasn't that interested, either – all he knew was that he had a strong opponent in front of him and proceeded to beat him down.

The colony had been emptied of its townspeople by the man that supposedly betrayed Warpol – his own bodyguard – and that gave them free reign to fight each other safely.

This was something he'd never imagined happening. Never imagined participating in. An adventure Zoro had never thought he'd have a chance to have a hand in.

He wanted it, he'd decided. _This_ was the sort of life he wanted.

He looked up once he heard sound behind him, and rose to his feet cautiously. Luffy was utterly exhausted and didn't seem to be moving any time soon. He cupped hands around his mouth and released a shout for Sanji.

Kid appeared moments later, looking disheveled and weak. He'd yet to refuel properly, so Zoro was impressed that he was still able to move. His hands settled on his hips as he grinned at him.

"Good morning!" he greeted.

"Fuck off with that chatter," Kid muttered, wobbling as he made his way over. "We done here?"

"Yeah, there's no one left."

"Can we fucking eat, now?"

"I'm sure it's ready," Zoro said with confidence.

Wearing a disgruntled expression, Kid caught sight of Warpol and then Luffy. He scoffed at both of them. "He didn't kill him?"

"Does he need to?"

"Well, yeah! To make sure he don't get up and come back! Eliminate the enemy!"

"Well, I think he's done for, anyway," Zoro said with uncertainty as Kid staggered over to Warpol.

After some seconds of consideration, he threw his hands up. "Kill him, Zoro. Chop his head off."

"I had no beef with him, I ain't gonna. Why don't you?"

"I have no more juice." Kid sat gingerly atop of a wide stone block, sighing heavily. "I have nothing left."

At the clatter of sound beyond them, Zoro looked up. He could smell another animal moving about, and the presence alone carried enough strength to it that made it possibly dangerous. He withdrew Wadou, walking a few feet to be in-between the intruder and the pair on the ground; a man finally revealed himself from around some rubble. Once Dalton caught sight of them, he held up his hands in surrender. Zoro didn't relax as the sight of guards behind him became present, hands settled on their spears but not wielding them. The man was missing most of his armor, revealing an upper torso wrapped with hasty medical care. He'd bled through some of it, so he appeared pale and weak, holding himself up by sheer will alone.

Dalton looked over the scene, signaling for the guards to stand down while he then approached. Kid made to stand but his legs refused to work properly. He trusted Zoro to handle the situation as it seemed the wolf had the strength to do so. He couldn't help but appreciate the sight of the shirtless wolf, blushing a little as he did so.

 _Bella was a fool_ , he thought. _She should've gone for the werewolf_.

"I bring no harm," Dalton stated, his voice obscenely loud over the still silence. "You've brought Warpol down?"

"Yeah, looks like it," Zoro answered evenly, searching for any sign of deception from the man.

Dalton looked relieved. He paused a few feet from him until Zoro sheathed his sword. Then he approached Warpol cautiously, looking over the former ruler with disdain. He looked back at the pair that watched him with impressively blank expressions. He then bowed low. "Thank you."

"For what?" Kid asked.

"For saving us." Dalton looked relieved. "Warpol…wasn't very kind to us."

"We didn't come here to do that," Kid muttered. "We came in for food and supplies and got attacked. So don't think we're anyone's saviors."

Dalton was a little confused, but since he was part of the crew that had found them in the first place, he supposed that this statement was true. The group had been struggling with all of them clearly broken by the elements and lack of food, so to think that this had happened purely on chance alone convinced him.

He nodded slowly. "Still…please, now that the battle is over, let us take over. You're all invited into the castle, where you will find what you're looking for. Staff will do everything in their power to provide you with what you need, and give you a place to rest. Do you intend on staying here, or moving on? There's a market here in the winter with the most amazing snowboots that I'm sure you'll find useful when you have to venture out of your house to refill your fireplaces. They come in either orange or blue, with tentative plans on releasing more colors once the dye factory has been restored."

Puzzled, Kid and Zoro exchanged glances before Dalton made a signal over his shoulders. One of the guardsman hollered that the coast was clear, and a line of relieved faces began to appear on those wearing Warpol's colors. They were ushered towards the castle, their joy and excitement obvious as they returned to the structure that still stood proudly within the center of the disaster zone.

"Some of our people are still in there," Kid warned.

"Then they will be treated as graciously. Come. We will take care of Warpol. You lot can get some rest, some food – a bath," Dalton then added, catching their scent with an awkward expression.

Zoro bent and threw Luffy over one shoulder to follow, then indicated that Kid use him as a crutch. Kid didn't want to because he knew he stunk to high heaven and he didn't want to show the man any weakness. He stubbornly stood and put every effort into walking, gritting his teeth with determination. Zoro followed along after a cautious look back at the king lying unconscious there.

The servants that immediately attended to him took them all into the guest bath areas. They were given sets of clothing and small snacks. Luffy was unconscious the entire time, so it was a struggle for a few of them to get him washed up and dressed, all of them amazed at how stretchy he could be. Then they were shown to some rooms, ushered to take as long as they needed to feel one hundred percent.

By the time Luffy made enough noise to announce to everyone within hearing distance that he was awake, evening had fallen upon them. Zoro felt well-rested and dressed in the clothes he was given, having a hard time with the shirt before leaving it open. He left his room, following his nose to the dining area. The table set up had platters upon platters of meat, side dishes and drinks, with Luffy already decimating a quarter of it. Law, Perona and Ussop were eating as well, all of them in appropriate Drum Peak clothing to combat the noticeable chill in the castle.

Zoro noticed Sanji helping the workers, wearing such a cheerful expression that Zoro felt some relief. Everyone around them wore happy smiles and were quick to attend to needs; clearly grateful for the usurping of the king. _He must've been that terrible,_ Zoro thought as he took his place at the table, ready to eat.

Sanji set down his serving tray and forced him to his feet to fix his shirt. "Honestly, take advantage of this," he scolded. "When we gonna have nice things again?"

"Where was you all this time?" Zoro asked, leaning over to sniff him as he clumsily tried fixing his shirt. He caught the scents of the kitchen and bath salts, but there was something else there that made him wince, exhaling through his nose with a snuff. Sanji pushed his face away before showing him how to tie his shirt properly.

"Dumb dog. Here. Didn't get involved with that nonsense." Sanji looked up from supervising to see Kid stumbling in, yawning noisily. Once he caught sight of them, his face switched to a hard scowl. It was only obvious why, and Sanji tightened up the collar of Zoro's shirt. He leaned in to hiss as Zoro strangled. " _Pay attention_!"

"To what?" Zoro asked with exasperation, reaching up to loosen his collar as Sanji wandered off.

"Why are you serving us?" Kid complained as he sat down roughly, wearing a pout as Zoro sat back down to start eating. The blue material he wore didn't suit his coloring very well – it gave him a sort of dreary appearance, clashing with his hair. But the wide collar showed off a muscled neck and the slope of his powerful shoulders. The shirt sleeves strained at his arms, threatening to pop the material at any moment. He'd stuffed the ends of his shirt into the wide belt that accompanied light blue pants – he wore his own boots, disregarding the white ones that seemed customary here. "Hey, it's because you weren't doing anything in the first place. Just the four of us did."

"If you were here instead of being passed out hours ago, you could've eaten something then, too," Sanji retorted. "You should've peeled that skin before you came – gonna be dropping flakes everywhere."

Kid glared after him, self-consciously reaching up to feel at the places where his skin was peeling from the sunburn. He looked across the table to Law with a scoff. "We made a name of ourselves, here."

"Is Warpol dead?" Law asked, finished separating his food into neat piles before he started to eat.

"No, Dalton's doing something with him."

"Then you didn't finish a job you started, did you?"

"No point to it," Luffy said with a mouthful of food. "He knows he's beat! Now Dalton can take over."

"I need to have a few words with Warpol, anyway," Law said.

"Over what?" Kid asked tiredly.

"Sorry I am late," Dalton apologized as he walked in.

Law scowled at him, lowering his fork. He looked to Sanji as he deposited a platter onto the table with some sort of monstrous slices of meat and indicated that he sit beside him. "Isn't it time for you to eat, too?"

Sanji moved to retort when he saw that Dalton had entered the room, sitting at the table's end. With a roll of his eyes, he sat because it would be easier doing so than risking Law starting some unnecessary action with the man based on his petty jealousy. Perona noticed that neither of them looked very happy being in each other's space – she wondered what happened.

"I'm happy to see that all of you look healthy again," Dalton said, looking at each person with approval. It was plain to him exactly who was in need of immediate rescuing – while four of them were rather large in stature compared to the common man, three of them were smaller in size and looked well-weathered to the elements. He assumed the three guides had known exactly what they were doing, but it had not been an easy task. "I'm sure you've had a terrible time down there in that desert – food is sparse, and with the fire as it was, it surely made things difficult. While I was informed that it wasn't your original intention to overthrow the king, I, and the rest of the kingdom, thank you profusely. Warpol was not a kind ruler. Any plan or thought to overthrow him had been impossible. Which is why we rely on a meat based diet, gathered by trade and good standing with those around us."

Not seeing the puzzled expressions, Dalton took a sip of water that had been placed in front of him. "We are prepared to live under what you feel is best."

"We're not here to rule anything," Kid said impatiently. "At least, not this place! It's way too cold!"

"We only wanted food and supplies to go north, because we're going to Sanji's home," Luffy said.

"We're not going there because it no longer exists," Sanji told him.

Luffy looked puzzled. "Then why we going to a ferry?"

Kid hit the table, fork clattering to the plate with frustration. "Why are we headed to _his_ home?"

"You knew this was coming ever since we set out," Ussop said with exasperation.

"How was this man modified?" Law asked Dalton over Kid's sputtering.

"It was a circumstance that he happened upon years ago," Dalton explained, crossing his arms over his chest. "When he was a child, he was experimented upon. He had an ancestor that had survived the bombing two hundred years ago, and that colony had implemented years of forward science. Once they had the products and the knowledge after intensive study, they began to work on certain individuals. Of course, many of these experiments were a failure – Warpol's hatred of doctors come from that time period."

"But there are successes out there," Law clarified.

"There could be. I am the result of this experimentation, but I couldn't tell you where it happened. My memory was erased. I was found wandering the desert before the colonists' hunting party found me. I was raised here."

"Zoro and Sanji are also products of experimentation. Sanji is from an island that Warpol claims is now gone, and Zoro's useless for any other information."

"It's true," Dalton said to Sanji.

" _I'm_ the one doing the talking here, so you'll address me," Law interrupted shortly.

Kid snorted, then choked on his food while Perona erupted into giggles. Sanji didn't look amused but his stony features were impossible to read. Luffy looked at Sanji with concern but since the fox looked only irritated, he assumed this wasn't a threat. Zoro lifted an eyebrow, thinking that he'd been right.

Faltering a bit, Dalton then said to Law, "There were individual colonies that focused on experimentation alone. But they either faded out of existence as time changed or were disbanded. Their powers are certainty indicative of professional experimentation – "

"It was probably those that were used upon us that were passed amongst the survivors at the end of the world," Law said.

"Which probably explains why those three killed themselves," Kid said. "And why that stuff you were looking for was gone. Maybe it was stolen from the inside sometime before the hit. Could explain why Sengoukou was so pissy before then."

"A breach?" Perona asked. "So if these people of today have powers, then maybe we can find them and see if the same things that affect us will affect them."

"But none of that affected these two when they were in the bunker," Kid pointed out. "So it can't be the same formula."

"So either they perfected their methods or it was individually mutated based on what information was had. The map room…where did he get that information?" Law asked Dalton.

"He brought in navigators from around the world to draw their area, and combined it. It's not fully completed because communication isn't constant due to only radio and messenger contact. Every time lines are attempted, the marauders bring them back down for material."

Law exhaled low, Kid lowering his fork once more.

"There is always interest in those that have abilities, and it's not limited to just one. There were failed experiments in the east where animal and man were combined to create an adaptable oddity able to survive the wastelands and potential colony failure – this was considered the ultimate character until mutations in individual experimentation began to become the norm. But because of the range of power with these…with _us_ ," Dalton corrected himself tersely, "power can go right to the head. Colonies either implode as a result of this, or is overrun by their experiments. Tell me – what abilities do you have?"

"That's not information that's necessary to share," Law said curtly.

"Not all experiments are considered perfection – some die after some time, some mutate on their own…the island you spoke about earlier – " Dalton started to say to Sanji.

Law blocked his line of vision by leaning into it. "I'm right here, look at _me_."

Dalton cleared his throat, wearing a nervous expression. Kid flicked some mashed potatoes Law's way.

"Stop embarrassing us with your childish behavior!" he hissed.

"They were direct descendants from that time period, and retained information that others sought. They were infamous for practicing on their own offspring in hopes of creating a superior race. Unfortunately, they self-destructed some years ago – whether it was an uprising or a mistake, that island was sank as a result of their efforts. It is unknown whether there are survivors, so if…he is a survivor, then he'll be of interest to those that want to further pursue these studies."

"My colony was about all that, but sold us out as slaves," Zoro spoke up. "We retained many stuff that another wanted, but none of us were perfect, either. I don't got my mind when I'm turned."

Dalton was surprised at his level of speech, wearing a concerned frown before saying, "If you were from the east as I suspect, yours was one of those that imploded. Theirs raged out of control. Whether or not there are survivors like yourself remains to be questioned, but it's true – if you're in your other form, you're unstoppable."

"Not completely," Kid said with a smirk. "I was able to pause him."

"Don't count if I don't remember," Zoro said with a sip of his wine. He signaled for more.

"So this world craves power – _nobody_ learned their lesson," Law muttered bitterly. "Destroyed one world just to repeat itself."

"Where do you come from?" Dalton asked curiously.

"We're from the colony by the sea – several times removed."

"And it was destroyed," Sanji said bitterly.

"I'll never be sorry," Perona told him.

"I ain't blaming you – I blame these rantallions for allowing you to do it."

"We didn't even know!" Kid said with a sigh.

"It's still your fault for allowing her to make desperate decisions!"

"If only we had known Perona was no good, we would've tried harder, Sanji," Luffy said with a sad frown.

"Take responsibility, why don't'cha?" Ussop scolded Perona.

Perona cheerily smiled, absolutely guilt free about her actions. Kid looked at Law. "So what's the point of carrying on this interest? So _what_ if the information leaked? It is what it is. These people are considered deformities and failures in what we are successfully!"

"What I am getting at is perhaps those men didn't kill themselves – they were killed because they either didn't have the information wanted, it was forcefully taken from them, or because it was the result of having already gave information over," Law said. "The world was going to end, someone knew about the program, and they wanted to continue the process. We were given a chance to survive by Cora, who must have known about the potential leak or was given some time to do so under distraction."

"But they said we were failures," Kid stressed.

"We weren't, apparently, if this information was carried over and there were numerous attempts to recreate it. The fact that there could be others out there just like us should cause you reason for concern. You might end up fighting against someone who is better at your ability than you."

"Hopefully they have better personalities," Ussop muttered, rubbing his chin.

Kid sat back, frowning at him. He did look a little bothered. "Instead of taking the results, why didn't they just take us instead? We were practically giftwrapped!"

"Because we don't _obey_ ," Law stressed. "And if we were transferred to the care of other personnel, do you think we'd listen to them?"

Kid reluctantly had to agree with him."…Yeah, probably not."

Dalton gave them puzzled looks. "You were the results of similar experiments?"

"We're the originals," Kid stated with a smug look. "Nothing can compare to the original. We don't age or anything – we're gods. So spread the word."

"Don't listen to them," Sanji spoke up quickly. "Their minds addled by the elements. Sounds like they still crazy."

"Weren't you supposed to shut up?"

"Telling the truth might be damaging," Sanji snapped back at Kid.

"I'm proud of who and what I am! I didn't go through all that just to hide it! I am who I fuckin' am, and if anyone wants to ask, they're going to get the truth!"

Dalton wasn't sure what to think – he didn't think any of them were any older than he was. But if what Kid was saying was correct, then they were more than two hundred years old. He couldn't believe that, shaking his head slightly.

"What'd you want to talk to Warpol about?" Kid asked Law curiously. "This guy sounds like he knew exactly what you wanted to know."

"I just have a couple of questions that I'll leave for him to answer," Law said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "I'll do that now. Where is he?"

"In the dungeon. I'll take you there," Dalton offered.

"Stay here and finish dinner," Law told Sanji as he rose from his seat.

Kid looked at Sanji with disgust as the fox made a stubborn face. "What is wrong with you? Why do you allow him to boss you around like that?"

"That's his mate," Zoro said firmly. "He can't help but listen, now."

" _NO_!" Sanji snapped at him, red-faced. "I ain't involving myself cuz I know exactly what he's gonna do and I don't agree with it!"

"What does that mean, Zoro?" Perona asked curiously.

"I smell it. He made his decision. Foxes tend to mate for life once they choose the one that will produce the strongest pups."

Kid laughed uproariously, slapping the table as Luffy looked puzzled. Sanji rested a palm against his forehead, ears, neck and face red. Perona looked awed, then sad. Ussop kept eating because he knew better than to say something at this point; he had an idea as well, but he considered Sanji's feelings at the moment. It wasn't easy for the fox to admit this, and it clearly looked to Ussop that he wasn't happy about it. He couldn't be happy unless his friend was. He would have to talk to him in private about it.

"Just like that?" Perona asked with disappointment. "Could've chosen someone better than that, I think."

"Sanji, you're going to have puppies?" Luffy asked, looking delighted.

"NO!" Sanji snapped at him, rising from the table and stalking off to the kitchen.

"Wolves also mate for life," Zoro added. "When I choose mine, that's it."

Kid tried not to look hopeful but Perona made barfing sounds from her side of the table while Luffy looked at Zoro with the same sort of delight. "You, too, Zoro?"

"It's not something that you choose," Zoro said with a shrug. "It's part of our instinct. We might be man but we're still animal, too. I knew that was going to happen so it ain't no surprise. When I make my decision, there's no question about it. My mate will just have to deal with it cuz I ain't gonna say anything more about it."

"I don't know anything about animals, but that sounds…like a done deal," Kid said slowly.

"You sound really hopeful about it, Kid," Ussop said with a suspicious look. Kid shot him the look of death, causing him to recoil away from him.

"No, let me cut in," Luffy said, setting aside a platter of clean bones and burping. "That mating for life theory isn't true - wolves can find others to bond with. But the alpha female wolf will breed with another wolf that looks yummy while the dominant male and a beta will cockblock others from trying to mate with her. Which is why Zoro cockblocks other wolves trying to mate with Sanji during his time because he's passive to Sanji, who is more dominant. And why Ussop follows them around cuz he's only a beta."

Zoro spit out the wine he was just consuming. Ussop sputtered with a hand over his heart, as if he were wounded.

"And during his heat, Sanji is seeking a dominant bond so when he didn't find one he kept having heats. Now that he's bonded with Law, who is a bossy guy we happen to follow, he won't have anymore heats. I read so many animal books, so I know a lot of this stuff. But then again, you two don't follow all the animal rules, so it isn't as if you _gotta_ follow the animal code. Sanji should have already bonded with his first mate and he didn't. Foxes just find one and stay with them, and he don't until he met Law, so it makes sense. Law must be part fox, too, because they're generally really protective of their mate and he does that a lot."

Perona's eyes bugged out of her head as Luffy finished his speech, Kid looking at the teen with utter horror. Zoro looked like he'd been slapped.

" _Twilight_ was a lie," Perona muttered.

"All I know is what National Geographic tells me," Luffy said with a sigh. He rubbed his belly. "Man, I'm full! I'm so full! I'm going to die!"

"Useless information!" Kid cried, hitting the table. "All of it! I want my ten minutes back without it!"

"Well, it is true, my eye does stray," Zoro mumbled to himself.

Kid looked at him with horror.

Luffy shrugged as he dug into his sundae. Kid crossed his arms, frowning sullenly at the table while Perona snickered.

"You should've let me do it, Kid," she said. "I have a guaranteed success rate!"

" _You_ were the one to show me the movie! I already believed in your lies once!"

"Now that y'all know this information, what you going to do with it?" Zoro then asked curiously. "Cuz part of the reason why we were headed north was to visit Sanji's home. Now that it ain't there, now what?"

"Didn't this feel great?" Kid then asked him, nodding with excitement. "Getting out there and proving yourself? Seeing what you were capable of?"

"Yeah, it felt nice."

"Then it makes sense to continue doing it, right? There's confirmation that there's more of people like us out there. Wouldn't it be interesting finding every one and testing your skill against them?"

"Yeah," Zoro answered without hesitation, thinking of just how well he'd done in this battle. "Think I got a taste for it."

"Then it's agreed," Kid said to the others. "That's what we're going to do. We're going to find others like us. See who's bad. All the while making our mark on this world."

"That's interesting. How are you going to get there?" Perona asked curiously. "We would still need Sanji."

"NO WE DON'T."

"The decision is made," Law said as he re-entered the room, holding onto Warpol's head. He was alive, looking around with panicked action as everyone stared at him with apprehension. Law dropped Warpol down onto the table, all of them looking at the head with startled faces. Dalton looked traumatized as the servants quickly scattered. "We're going in search of other labs. I couldn't help but overhear your plans, Eustess. Stop copying me."

Kid rubbed his face with frustration.

"You _fools_!" Warpol cried, head wiggling about amidst some empty dishes. "If my mouth still functions, I can still munch! I can still be a danger!"

"Luffy, the next time you down an opponent make sure you finish the job. If we're to commit ourselves onto this conquest, we must make sure we don't leave anything behind," Law said, unsheathing his sword.

All of them jumped as he cleaved Warpol's head in half, blood, matter and gore spilling out onto the table with a terribly loud crunch of sound. Perona giggled as Kid and Ussop turned to the side and vomited onto the floor. It took a few moments to wiggle the sword's blade out from the metallic matter of Warpol's jaw, but Law managed to do so, reaching for discarded napkins on the table to clean it before re-sheathing it.

Zoro had to admit that he was impressed with the blade's strength; it had cut like a hot knife through butter, making such a clean cut that only the jolt of impact connecting with the table had sent the halves falling over.

"We won't be expecting any trouble from you after this, right?" Law asked Dalton as he tossed aside the napkins.

The big man shook his head minutely, looking troubled.

"After you all get some rest, we'll leave. I have a destination in mind," Law said, turning and leaving the room while Dalton stared at Warpol's halved head pieces with a paling expression.

Zoro nodded, crossing his arms as Luffy's nose wrinkled with distaste. "Why did he have to do that at the table? Would've been cooler in the throne room."

"Right?" Perona agreed.

"He's so _dramatic_ ," Luffy said with a sigh. "If he isn't burning things to the ground or killing ladies with kids, he's cutting heads in half."

Dalton looked very distressed.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: Just popping in for a bit D:**

 **Thanks, Naghi-Tan and Penumbra for sharing your thoughts!**

 **: : Twenty-Seven**

Later that night, Ussop found Sanji smoking out on one of the kitchen balconies. The colony was still in ruins, but there were burning lights in various areas, signaling that people had returned to their homes. Heavy equipment deliberately blocked off all the roads where the destruction was the worst. It seemed positive that this colony would re-flourish once it had a chance, with a sense of relief amongst the colonists that didn't mind the mess.

"What are you hiding out here, for?" Ussop asked, lowering himself to sit next to Sanji, both of them leaning against the wall where the wide window was closed. Both of them wore the heavy coats given to them by the servants, so the animal fur rustled quietly under a frosty night wind.

"Ain't hiding," Sanji muttered.

"That stuff true? What Zoro was saying?"

After awhile, Sanji exhaled slowly. "Don't know. All I know is I made a decision."

"Well, what are your instincts telling you?" Ussop pressed. "Doesn't seem like you're too happy about it."

"You know that time when you broke your arm climbing that cliff? You knew it was gonna happen, but you did it anyway?"

"I was going to _die_ ," Ussop reminded him impatiently, thinking of the memory. "If'n I didn't, I'da fallen. But if I did, I'd break something anyway. So it was an unavoidable choice."

"That's what it feels like," Sanji said. "If I don't, I'd fall. If I do, I break. Easier to fix a break than a fall."

"Is it really that?" Ussop then asked suspiciously. "Or is it something you just convincing yourself with?"

With one hand, Sanji indicated the air. The other he indicated the stone floor on which they sat. "I _don't_ , I stay behind and fall into heats. I either die of my own rot or by animal's teeth. I _do_ , I just get hurt thinking it could change, but maybe I wind up in a place that's more accepting. An unavoidable choice."

"Oh," Ussop muttered, drawing his knees up. He wore an uncertain expression. "But you say 'get hurt', so it ain't like you opposed to it."

Sanji frowned heavily, examining the short stub of his cigarette before taking another drag. "There's a bit there. Might be I only flattered by the attention."

Ussop gave a short nod. "You are one of his focal points."

"Think it just imprinting, though. Cuz I remind him of someone."

"What 'bout Kid and Zoro?"

"That's like a child looking up to someone impressive," Sanji snickered. "Wrong role model to follow."

"Zoro ain't exactly rejecting the attention, either."

"That cuz Zoro dunno what to do with it. Ain't ever had someone so attentive. Kid ain't getting nowhere with him unless Zoro decides what to do with it. He's so thick, he ain't ever gonna figure it out!"

"It's pretty funny!"

"On another hand, it feels…good to know that I ain't got a home to go back to," Sanji said. "Less trouble on the horizon."

"But they want to find other labs. So there is trouble."

"Let them. It ain't home they gonna find. All their life they were raised to think one thing – think it gonna take two hunnern years to change years of thinking? They can't just live like we do, Ussop. They need a goal to function. So if this their goal, so be it."

"So many things can happen, though."

"Many useless things, cuz they got a lot to prove to themselves. Until they hit that one wall, they unmatched. So they will search it until they get an answer or until they stopped. Ain't anyone stopping them. No one can."

"But," Ussop lowered his voice, cupping one hand over his mouth, "we can."

Sanji sighed uneasily, then took a long drag of his cigarette. "Then we ain't any better than them."

Ussop frowned, looking down at his knees. "Then we just go along for the ride?"

Sanji put his cigarette out on the stone, then flicked the end over the balcony railing. "It gonna be an adventure. Maybe we find another place when they get tired of us. Moss was right – it better than eating scraps and being treated like dirt."

"There's that…I hope Robin's okay," Ussop said. "Wish I knew what happened to Violet and Rebecca. Ain't heard no word of them since they left."

"I'm sure they'll be fine. Violet had a way of seeing things," Sanji said with a puzzled frown. "Maybe she saw something that had them leave, and we see them again."

"Or Iceburg said something to her, and she left."

"She wouldn't leave us without saying anything. I suppose she saw something. Don't worry about her, she'll show up. Probably right when we need her. Probably better off they ain't with us, now. Those two would be clashing."

Ussop had to shrug to agree. He then patted Sanji's shoulder as he pushed himself to his feet. "As long as you okay with things, then. Oh, by the way – how old are you?"

"I'm older than moss."

Ussop frowned at him as Sanji snickered again, rising to his feet. "Better get some rest. Who knows where we'll end up next? He got hold of a map, so wherever we end up, it'll probably be like this one."

"As big as an adventure as this has been, I ain't too comfortable with the way things been going," Ussop said as they entered the kitchen, Sanji shutting the doors behind them. "They been falling on a line. Seen too much things that have me questioning my own self. But being out with them down there – like being in charge of a daycare! But these kids ain't impressed with nothin' I do or say."

"We just gotta remember ourselves," Sanji muttered uneasily. "If'n we ever get to a point where we're questioning ourselves, then we too influenced by them. At the same time, gotta try and beat it in their heads that there is a right or wrong. Them Marines allowed them to grow up thinking that one way is the right way. Just do your best."

"Even if they don't wanna listen?"

"Maybe don't use words," Sanji suggested, leaving him behind with a wave over his shoulder. Ussop was puzzled by that, but he headed off to his borrowed room, thinking over the conversation.

Sanji followed his nose through the various corridors, bypassing nervous servants that were keeping an eye on the candles. Being that everyone was settling down for the night, the halls were quiet and still, carrying a sharp chill that made him grateful for the jacket he'd tossed on. Drum Peak was a place he'd never imagined existed – so far out of sight from the colony near the sea that it seemed like a place straight out from one of Robin's books. But having seen the maps, there were colonies out there – separated by distance and unmapped regions. It would be an adventure to cross to every one that seemed significant to the quartet's plans – _Law's_ plans – so it wasn't exactly unwelcome.

It was different from living out day to day life in the former colony; yet the circumstances could be better. Thinking about his conversation with Ussop, Sanji couldn't help but feel as if he'd been edged into a corner. It was inevitable that the door would close eventually – once Law figured out what he truly wanted – but now that he'd made his decision, he'd stand by his word no matter what.

Sanji wasn't sure how his animal instincts tied into his human instincts but he was sure it wasn't what Zoro had said. He wished he had Robin around to explain to him some of the things he was feeling, or at least read to him some basics to understand himself. Zoro was more in tune with his instincts than Sanji was, but he was pretty sure they butted heads over _some_ things.

He found where Law was staying, knocking on the door once and walking in. He found the man flipping through various journals and opened books tossed onto the bed, every candle burning brightly enough to make the room hot and smoky. The man was still fully dressed in every article of clothing he'd found, boots dirtying the blankets, sword against the wall. Sanji could smell coffee from a tray nearby, and shook his head.

"Shouldn't you be following your own order?" Sanji asked, blowing out the candles on the wall as he removed his jacket.

Law grunted as he flipped a page, using a pencil to mark something on the book he had in his lap. Sanji proceed to blow out other candles throughout the room, and opened the window a little just to allow the smoke to escape.

"We're leaving in the morning, so it makes sense to research our destination and the region we will be crossing. So shouldn't it be prudent of you to identify the food sources you'll be needing to feed us?" Law asked snappishly as he glared at his book.

In response, Sanji grabbed hold of the duvet and flipped the material over, sending books flying to the floor. A cup of coffee that had been resting atop of a thick tome smashed onto the stone with a loud clatter, spilling hot liquid over some decorative rope mats. Law had to hold his current book close to keep it from falling to the same fate. Satisfied with the empty bed, Sanji fixed the duvet.

"I can't read," he repeated calmly, smoothing the corners. He then blew out the candles closest to the bed as Law's face erupted with an angry expression. "It'll be trial and error. We all learn the hard way if what I find is the wrong thing. That'll give ya'll some experience to carry on for the future."

"Sounds like you're trying to kill us."

"If I wanted to, you'd already be dead," Sanji told him, snatching the book out of his grasp, tossing it onto a nearby stand. "Take this stuff with you. Warpol won't be needing it."

"Since there's a certain number of us, there will be limited space to store it!"

"Stop arguing – you did this to them, too? Fought bedtime? Or are ya just scared of the dark, cuz I ain't ever see you sleep at night?" Sanji asked, catching a twitch of Law's jaw as his teeth set. He smirked before leaning over and blowing all but one of the candles burning nearby.

"Where are you sleeping?"

"With you, dumb nut. Why you dressed like you gonna leave at any second? Take advantage. How can you take over a regime then ignore the spoils? What kinda conqueror are you?"

"The longer you're with us, I hope your speech improves," Law muttered bitterly. Sanji kicked off his boots, then removed his jacket and tunic. "If you change into an animal and get your fur all over my clothes – "

"I wasn't planning to. Get undressed. I got only an hour before we rest up."

"An hour to do _what_? Dumb my brain down with your idiotic spiels? I didn't ask for that."

"Earlier today," Sanji said, crawling onto the bed and forcefully tugging the jacket from him as he grudgingly removed it. The chill coming from the open window made Law regret removing it, shivering before emitting a complaint Sanji ignored. The fox tossed the garment away before grabbing ahold of Law's foot and removing the boot with the same amount of forcefulness. "You rutted like you _just_ discovered your dick."

Red-faced, Law sputtered with mortification.

"Only reason why I got off cuz I knew what to do. I'mina teach you to do it properly," Sanji said firmly, removing his other boot. He winced. "Your feet stink. You wanna be appealing, at least take care of yourself."

"You weren't complaining," Law muttered, feeling his face continue to burn with humiliation. "At any point of that time, you didn't complain."

"Despite my shame after my heats, I'm a healthy man that does like sex," Sanji told him confidently. "If'n you gonna be my partner, you at least should know how to do it right. Ain't gonna have the time once we're out there, so we take advantage of it now. There's a time and a place for these things, and you inappropriate."

" _I_ decide when there's a time and a place, and _now_ isn't the time! These things are important to research before we move on, because I'm not taking these things with us! There is no room!" Law insisted as Sanji turned around to face him. He placed a hand over the fox's face and pushed him away. "Talk about unappealing, _you_ reek of cigarettes!"

"Then get up and take a bath!"

"It's too cold!"

"What _man_ complains when he knows he's getting attention? Suddenly you're a demure maiden? Or you that old, you can't shoot off more than once?"

"Aren't you upset with what I said afterward?" Law then asked, wearing a crabby frown as he refused to move.

Sanji paused in unbuttoning his high-collar shirt, seeing how Law refused to look at him. He snorted. "Why you worried about that sort of thing? Sounded like you were pretty convinced of yaself."

"I'm not _worried_ – just fucking irritates me that you don't acknowledge it."

"You want it acknowledged? You want me to be angry at you? That's what you do these things for?"

"Allowing others to walk all over you is a sign of weakness. You let that entire colony disrespect you for years - "

"And yet I still believe in good of people, which is why I gave ya a chance when I had the choice," Sanji said, jerking open Law's shirt to find him wearing a t-shirt underneath that. " _How much clothes do you wear_?"

"When did this start happening to you?" Law then asked him. "Shouldn't you be upset and afraid after being forced?"

"I am pretty sure that I'm very willing during my heats," Sanji said slowly.

"One would think there would be a stigma attached after a traumatic event."

"The only thing 'attached'," Sanji said, strangling him with the collar of his shirt, "is that I only seem to fear my feelings when I'm with _you_."

Law forcefully removed his grasp, momentarily looking guilty before covering it up with an impatient expression. "Then why don't you feel shame in the act?"

"I feel shame afterward, when no one look me in the eye. When they wanted it then, but didn't want me after," Sanji admitted slowly. He sat back on his heels. "Just odd when one desires me without it. But you look at me. So why should I feel that when I know I'm wanted now?"

Law thought about it for a few moments, fisting the blankets at his sides. Sanji frowned at him, unsure of what to think. The man confused him; for someone that threw his power and weight around without any mercy, he had a curiously contemplative side to him that made Sanji feel wary of his own instinct in judging him. The older man was capable of feeling empathy – he just wasn't sure what to do with it, or seemingly knew how to identify these things separately. It made Sanji feel unsure of himself; unsure of his own grounded feelings, second guessing them as to whether or not they were "right".

"Or…should I be ashamed?" he asked tentatively. "Is it wrong that I want?"

After thinking about Sanji's words, Law ventured, "Maybe you're mixing those up. After all that, you think being desired off your heat is a good thing because you crave positive attention. You think giving yourself up that easily makes one happy."

Sanji frowned at him again. "Or I could be – "

"You have a backwards way of thinking and forgive too easily. It's a sign of weakness and you lack any inner strength. Like a goddamn stray dog that dumbly thinks a human giving him food once is a friend for life."

"Well…to be fair, I am part animal," Sanji grumbled.

"It's stupid to believe in that shit when it keeps happening! You've devalued yourself to a point where forgiving is easier than it is to stand back and place value on what you have left!" Law snapped at him, slapping his hands away.

"Which is funny cuz you bent on destroying other human beings to place yourself atop of a pedestal you were forced on! So how that any different?"

"Mine is different because human beings destroyed one world just to make another version of what they tried to abolish! What was done to us should not happen to others. Giving others power just to control and render power over others - !"

"Why are you so hypocritical?" Sanji asked curiously, sitting back on his heels again.

"I'm _not_ ," Law said. "Now that the world lacks what we had, then there shouldn't be cause for more destruction."

"And yet you plan on finding other labs so that your buddies can challenge other projects, test strength against strength. When all is said and done, what you gonna do after that?"

"Just making things even," Law muttered, holding his shirt closed. "After that, I don't know what I'm going to do."

"Why are you _dumb_?" Sanji asked with a puzzled face. Law pushed him away to climb off the bed. He hastily retracted his feet upon touching the cold floor. It took a swipe of his hand to actually shut the open window before he returned to the bed, changing his mind with a huff. He snatched the blankets up roughly enough to cause Sanji to fall over so he could climb underneath them.

"Shut up. I'm going to sleep. Tired of your stupid questions," Law muttered into the pillow.

Sanji watched him for a couple of moments, then shrugged. He pulled the blankets over himself as well, eking out a relieved shout as the warmth of combined fur and material provided a comfortable warmth. He was instantly tired as his body relaxed against the support of the mattress and the weight of the blankets. After days of sleeping on the hard, unforgiving dirt, this was truly a wonderful sensation to feel. He burrowed underneath the blankets, wiggling and adjusting until he was warmly wrapped away from the man. The bed was large enough to have at least two Luffys between them, so it almost felt like an individual space for both.

Law sat up and looked over at the lump on the side of the bed. "Once word gets out there that there are people like us existing amongst you idiots, they'll come to us. It doesn't make sense to relax and settle while losing combative instinct knowing that we're not the only ones out there."

"I dunno why you worry 'bout that. Doesn't make sense that you live your life scared," Sanji answered from underneath the blankets.

"It's not that I'm 'scared'," Law snapped, reaching over and jerking away the blankets until he spotted the blond mop of hair. "Look at me when I'm addressing you!"

"Warm milk should make ya right sleepy. You want that to settle your bedtime tantrum?" Sanji asked.

"I'm not throwing a goddamn tantrum! You prompted a response from me! This is my response!"

" _Fine_ ," Sanji muttered, pushing out from the blankets. He crawled over until he could position himself up against him, causing the older man to scowl. "I be right here so the boogie man under the bed won't get ya. In fact, trade me spots – it can eat me before it can get to you."

"Stop treating me like a goddamn child!"

"Then stop acting like one! That mind of yours too active, it thinks too much! Bodies give out when they're too tired and break down on ya, what you think minds will do? You're overusing it to scare yourself right now. There's no reason tonight for ya to think, cuz it all done! Then we got all that travel to do – like you even know _first thing_ about where we end up to even start to plan anything! When we get there, _then_ you can think, cuz you gotta think _what where when_ and _how_ after you see it! So shut your darn sauce box and stop picking fights! You still wanna be active, then my offer still stands! So what you gonna do?"

Law scowled into the darkness of the room. He absolutely hated the way the words left Sanji's mouth, because he felt childishly combative for the concept of it. He hated how it all made sense, he hated the way he inwardly agreed to it, he hated to acknowledge the relief he felt in that Sanji did not hate him for the things he did or said. It was all a whirl of confusion, uncertainty and expectation; impossible things to experience after years of being treated a certain way and expecting a certain behavior in return. He was so used to fighting and manipulating that to not be treated a certain way threw him off. Like stumbling on a foreign track.

Sensing his conflicting feelings, Sanji relaxed his irritated stance. He leaned over and pressed his forehead against Law's jaw, twisting ever so slightly to breathe in the day's lingering scents that wafted away from his clothes. He could also smell tinges of unease, something that gave him renewed confidence in his standing with him. Something that made him a little eager to apply comforting attention to soothe his partner's worries.

"No more thinking," he murmured. "Just rest. Tomorrow you can think all you want. Tonight is for sleep."

Law went stiff at the feel of affection being bestowed upon him. Especially when Sanji was usually so quick with a kick, curse or a slap. It sort of reminded him of an animal rubbing up against him. All at once, his thoughts shifted into another direction. It was strangely frustrating how his mind worked oppositely of what his newly discovered senses suddenly wanted, and it rendered him off balance. He felt that Sanji used what he was already comfortable with to manipulate his physical senses into keeping him off course, but he also felt that physical desires were somewhat natural. After all, wasn't that what human beings wanted? To be close to another in any way possible? Corazon had always been searching for it in another human being, and the Marines always talked about spouse and dating problems. Was it okay to feel human after years of being treated as an object to be used?

"These things are fine between two people," he heard Sanji say softly. "Ain't no shame in it. You already know what you want, why fight it?"

"Because it's the same," Law answered, jerking his head away, even as his skin shivered in response. "It's the same as the rest of those things."

"You can't even talk straight. It be fine between us because _both_ of us want it. If it at the appropriate time, it's _fine_. It can be expressed else ways if needs be. Now, let me teach it to you right because it's better if you know what to do," Sanji said firmly, forcing Law to touch him. Placing one warm hand over his own cheek, where he rested the weight of his affection into it. "It's fine to lose control when it's the right time."

"I feel like you're taking advantage of something _I_ don't even have control over," Law grumbled.

"Then put a stop to it. Why you so forceful elsewhere and suddenly wimpy in another? You thinkin' too much into things and don't just accept that some things are just natural."

Law had no idea if these feelings were 'natural' when he'd lacked even the concept of them. When he hadn't any interest in exploring them previously. Kid and Perona had allowed themselves to partake in movies that displayed humans exploring their interests in another, and talked about these subjects boldly; but Law never thought of them as useful. Now he truly wished he'd paid attention so he could feel some certainty in himself. But he couldn't deny that he looked upon Sanji hungrily and he could want him so boldly; that he thought nothing of appreciating the physical picture every time he looked at the fox. He told himself that if Sanji wanted him despite the punishments, despite the things he did – then maybe it was fine. Sanji could have rejected him and walked away or didn't approach him tonight after those things he said; but here he was, practically in his lap, touching him gently and expressing affection.

Then again, it could only be a ploy of some kind. Law just wasn't sure of what, he'd have to think about it later. His physical senses were suddenly just too aware of the other man and what they'd shared hours earlier. They were confusing and frustrating, but he should take advantage of it now that there were no more distractions. Learning more about these things could help him understand himself.

He wasn't sure how Sanji's scent receptors worked because the man could always catch a difference in Law's feelings by some sort of physical change. The nuzzling turned into a hard push and a pounce, their moods changed that quickly.

: :

The next morning, Dalton personally saw them off. He'd given them a radio compass – a small device that immediately latched onto ground radio signals that would lead them to either another colony or warn them of potential marauders that used radios to communicate with each other over the region they were crossing.

"It isn't that accurate when it comes to that situation," he warned. "But it will lead you to an established colony. It also comes in a wide range of colors, but I thought that a plain grey color would suit you all, considering that none of you seem to match."

"These are usually located on a water or airship," Kid said with a puzzled look. "They're that accurate on the ground?"

"It's what we use now. There are no such things as airships," Dalton returned.

"I honestly don't know how this works, but I've seen _Top Gun_ ," Kid threatened. Dalton wasn't sure what that meant, but he understood that he was being threatened so he nodded gravely.

"We've also complied emergency food rations – " Dalton then said to Sanji before the end cap of Law's sword scabbard against his cheekbone forcefully directed his attention away. So Dalton addressed Law instead. "Into the vehicle. Use them sparingly, for sometimes it's difficult establishing a hunting and trapping routine out there if you're not familiar with the area. I'd recommend a salad with your dinners – digests better."

"This colony we're headed to – it's got a lab for sure?" Kid asked Law. "We're not going there to waste our time, right? There is something for all of us, right?"

"I know of the place," Dalton interrupted with a nod. "It did house a known lab. It was overrun by its subjects before the colony condemned its acts. Even if you don't find a challenger, you will find some answers. They'd done their best to destroy it, but it's an underground lair. With your strengths, it should be easy to penetrate."

"That doesn't sound very positive," Kid growled to Law.

"Why are you talking to me like I care about what you think?" Law asked him.

"Because _you're_ the one sending us over there!"

"Oh? You've found it interesting to do as I say, now? Because I have a permanent suggestion as to what to do with you - "

" _Dalton_ ," Kid interrupted Law to address the man, "you know there are subjects there?"

"They might be laying low," Dalton answered. "At the time of my youth, they were children. I only remember that they were troublesome back then, but when the condemnation act happened, there were some losses as the colony and the lab security forces fought back. Whether or not they are there, the lab is. From there, you should find answers. By the way, with summer winding down, the air should be near similar as this one. Cooler. Try the red fruits in a smoothie if they are in season. They supposedly make your skin glow."

"Do they have good food?" Luffy asked cheerily. "Meat and sides? Hamburgers?"

"Did I hear _nuggets_?" Perona cried, leaning out from the back seat of the truck with an excited expression.

"Oh, god, I want pizza," Kid mumbled, wiping the sides of his mouth.

"But I must warn you," Dalton added, looking cautiously at Zoro and Ussop. After a few moments of consideration, he placed a hand over his left eye so he couldn't see Sanji, but could include him in his warning. Sanji rolled his own visible eye while Law approved with a satisfactory nod. "The…three of you should take caution. It is clearly obvious that you're…different. They might mistake you for slaves. So perhaps it is smarter to wear our clothing like the others, rather than…than that."

"But this is more comfortable," Zoro said, looking down at his worn, sleeveless shirt with hood. Ussop looked over his bibbed pants with a frown, Sanji wearing an upset frown as he indicated his vest with long sleeved collar shirt. All of them preferred their own worn clothing compared to the grand threads the others had taken, knowing how well they functioned out in the uncharted region. "And besides, it'll be nothing new."

"Not to brag, but people have been looking down at us most of our lives," Ussop added with a heavy expression.

"They don't think too greatly of wearing animal skins," Dalton continued. His expression showed concern. "It's a sign of savagery. And…to be honest, you look… _poor_."

"But we're _rich_ with experience!" Ussop exclaimed.

"It won't matter what they look like when we start laying down the fists," Kid assured them, but he looked worriedly at Zoro. While the wolf looked mighty fine in nice clothing, it somehow eliminated the manly air around him. Kid pretty much preferred the rugged look. Right up against his left ear, Perona whispered, " _Ew_."

"What will you do without currency?" Dalton then asked curiously, looking to Law as a slap rang out, Perona's furious shriek ringing out over the area "We can certainly provide some of Warpol's savings to you, but currency varies from colony to colony, so there's no guarantee that it'll take."

"We'll manage just fine," Kid interrupted. "We'll just take what we need! Why the hell should we abide by society standards when we fit into no one's society? We're our own!"

"Oh, _hell_ yeah!" Luffy crowed.

"We never fit in anywhere, anyway," Zoro agreed.

"Unless the settings are to our standards," Perona said, fingers swiping together suggestively.

"We didn't even fit into our own," Law said bitterly.

"As long as it's not one that gets me killed," Ussop said tentatively.

"But it might not be an acceptable situation..." Dalton faltered. He realized he couldn't convince them otherwise and exhaled deeply. He nodded towards one of his guardsman, who hurried away with a call to another. "Still, we are grateful for your interference, and wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors."

"You're welcome," Kid said. He clapped his hands. "Let's go. If you gotta piss, do it now cuz I ain't stopping until I'm tired."

"Who says you're driving?" Law asked, already in the driver's seat as Kid snarled at him.

"Thank you," Sanji whispered to Dalton once the pair started arguing noisily, Perona shouting at them impatiently. "Should anybody be askin', please give them our whereabouts. It's no secret what they're doing, and their enemies should be directed to speak to them one on one."

"No problem," Dalton whispered back from the corner of his mouth while looking stoically ahead.

"If two women should pass by here, their names are Violet and Rebecca, please let them know where we're at, and that _we're_ ," Sanji indicated the three of them, "fine. This is our choice."

" _Right_."

Dalton then caught sight of his guardsman returning with a case, and he quickly took it to the driver's side. Law took it while Kid climbed into the passenger side with a grumble. "This is some of Warpol's treasure. Enough to make you comfortable here in this colony for years, yet I don't know if it's acceptable elsewhere. Hopefully it comes into handy."

Opening it, the quartet was treated to the sight of various wooden, metal and mineral coins, all hexagonal shaped with Warpol's profile stamped on them. Law tossed it over one shoulder, the weight catching Luffy abruptly and causing the rubberboy to squeak as his own treasures were squished. Above his cries of pain, Law told Dalton, "Get out of the way."

Dalton and the others got out of the way, the truck roaring to life. It sputtered once as it jerked then stopped, Kid shouting at him impatiently. But once it was on its way, Dalton and the others heaved breaths of relief.

"Was this the right idea? Sending them there?" one of the guardsmen asked Dalton cautiously.

Dalton shrugged as he turned away. "I'm sure they'll be fine."

"I'm talking about the safety of the other colony!"

"What matters is that ours is safe and secure. We treated them graciously – they won't forget that if matters change in the future."

: :

It took them nearly a week to reach their destination. Thanks to Dalton's supplies, they were running nearly on empty by the time they caught sight of the colony, which rose like cactus spikes from the rocky terrain. It was nearly embedded into the rocky side of a series of mountains, all of which were brilliantly gleaming against the late afternoon sky. While the journey hadn't been as troublesome as their first venture out from the first colony, it had been a battle of slight cabin fevers, tempers and exasperation. The truck was fully functional for the terrain, and the solar batteries worked well. Kid was almost disappointed that he wasn't needed.

The radio compass had guided them safely to the location, and while it was clear that there were guard towers throughout the terrain, it appeared that they'd be welcomed. No one wore troubled expressions as they were sighted, instead greeted with pleasant surprise.

"I'd be wary of that," Law muttered as a single vehicle rolled their way. "If they aren't cautious, then they're overly confident."

"Which means something great for us," Kid said with a wide grin. "It means they feel safe. If they feel safe, then they got firepower to back them up."

"They must not run into trouble very often, then," Perona said, fluffing out her skirts. "I can't wait to see inside! I hope their fashion is better than Drum Peak's!"

"I can't wait to see what kinda food they have," Luffy said dreamily, sucking out the last of the meat flavor from a plastic wrapper. "With different animals here, there's different flavors! Ooooh I hope they have the good stuff! Stuff from back home, like hamburgers."

"Ground up cow?" Sanji asked cautiously, tasting a part of a fruit he'd found hanging from light branches on one of the many trees that grew around them. His face soured, but he set himself on finishing the bite he'd taken.

"Ground up joy! With ketchup! Cheese! Pickles! Ohh ho ho ho ho fries! I want all the fries!"

"Stop talking about food, you're making me hungry!" Perona bellowed at him.

Zoro sniffed at the fruit Sanji held, and made a face as he turned away. "That gonna give you the shits. I smell it."

"Then you should finish it, cuz you smell blocked up," Sanji retorted, stuffing it into his mouth, then kneeing him in the gut so that Zoro ended up sucking it in with a harsh gasp. He choked and sputtered as Sanji clamped his hands over his jaw and mouth, forcing him to swallow it whole. Satisfied, Sanji walked away while Zoro coughed harshly.

"I know we're all bothered by each other," Ussop said wearily as he'd witnessed the event, "but we shouldn't be mean."

"I can't wait to get away from you guys," Kid muttered, looking at them bitterly. "All of you have pissed me off in some way, except for Zoro."

"' _Except for Zoro'_ ," Perona and Luffy repeated in a high falsetto, causing Kid's face to twist.

"Reacting right away like the last time won't allow me a chance to find out what I'm looking for," Law said. "So don't do anything that will prevent me from finding out where the lab is."

"I want to find the damn lab, too. _After_ I see who's top brass. A colony that looks that loaded and secure has to have an outstanding military force. Luckily, we're not in the same condition as we were last time," Kid said, cracking his knuckles. " _Someone_ actually did his part."

"Just wait," Sanji muttered in response, looking through the bag of vegetables and roots he'd found earlier. "Anything unusual you eat won't let you know it was bad til you're trying to shit later."

"There might be potential leaks of your actions at Drum Peak," Law said, looking back at them. "If you hadn't eliminated all your opponents in the first place, they could have passed along word of what you're capable of."

"Why are you still mad about that?" Luffy asked on a heavy sigh. "No one escaped! Kid got them all."

"You hear that? _Kid got them all_ ," Kid repeated to Law with a stoop of his shoulders.

"Should you engage into grand battle with a worthy adversary, it's sensible to make sure they don't get back up. Cleaning up your loose ends is tiresome for me. I don't want to be affected by your poor decisions in the future," Law told Luffy, who mimicked his expression right back at him.

Above the sounds of his protests as Law grabbed a cheek and yanked, Zoro lifted his head and sniffed the air. Sanji stiffened as well. Both of them looked at each other before walking towards the back of the truck.

"Wait 'til we figure out what's goin' on," Sanji said hastily, opening up his backpack and dumping his food bag in before pulling off his vest. "With that scent, we dunno what might happen. Better to stand back ta see what's there, first. Let them do it their way – ours might be smarter."

"Feels like I ain't gonna be so lucky this time around," Zoro muttered thoughtfully. "But it seems exciting."

"Get your scent on things. Throw them off into thinkin' that you're the alpha."

"I _am_ the alpha!"

Sanji snorted, shifting form. As his clothes puddled over his boots, Zoro scoffed, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. At the fox's impatient barks and growls, he hesitated for a moment but reluctantly picked up his things, stuffing them into his backpack while Law appeared suddenly with a bewildered look.

"Why are you changing? Change back!"

"We got a plan," Zoro muttered. Impatiently, he used the backpack to wipe off his forehead and arms, smearing his sweat and scent over it while Law gave him a puzzled frown. Zoro made to wipe his hands on the man's jacket when Sanji used his outstretched arm as a springboard, alighting onto Law's shoulders. Once he balanced himself he snarled and barked so ferociously that Zoro drew back with a startled jerk.

"Fine, _fine_ , whatever," he muttered as he turned towards the others.

Unsure of what sort of exchange happened out of his earshot, Law pushed the eagerly wagging tail away from his face as Sanji carefully balanced himself against the collar of his jacket, draping over the back of his neck so that his large ears fluttered against the man's jaw. Both of them watched as Zoro bear hugged Ussop, moving him from side to side as the man screamed with distraught. Luffy was given a similar gesture, but he laughed and thought it was funny. Perona was caught by her hair, her hairstyle rumpled and clothes in disarray, shrieking and cursing at the top of her lungs.

When it came to Kid, who looked absolutely frozen as he realized it was his turn, Zoro considered their height difference with a thoughtful look, then gestured at him to lean down. Purplish red, Kid bent over slightly until Zoro grabbed him around the neck and used his sweaty armpits to wipe over his face and as much of his clothes as he could while the others laughed and mocked the red-haired giant for his timid appearance.

"WHY DO I HAVE THE WEIRDEST BONER?" Kid cried in horror, wiping at his face with both hands as Zoro was satisfied with marking the man with his scent.

"There's a beast approaching," Zoro said to the others. "So if ya'll have my scent, then it'll be established that _I'm_ alpha here. That way, none of them think ya a threat until it's needed. Ain't gonna take any chances."

"Probably would've been more effective if you pissed on everyone," Luffy said with a puzzled expression. Zoro considered the idea, Kid, Perona and Ussop quickly yelling out their dismay as his hands went to his pants.

"You two aren't feeling very confident. By marking your territory, you're telling the other guy that you feel threatened," Luffy said with realization. He grew delighted. "Alright! Then _we did it_! We found tougher guys!"

Plucking off a wiry green hair from his lips, still weirdly turned on by Zoro's gesture, Kid stuttered, "But Dalton said you guys look like peasants – so you won't be taken seriously here. If we got your scent all over us, that's gonna make us either look like prisoners or – "

" _I get it_!" Ussop cut in hastily, glancing back at Sanji with a nod. "Let them think that way, Kid! They won't see ya'll as a threat right away, and will probably treat you as guests. It could get ya in closer to what you need – if'n this place is heavily guarded, then it's the surest way to get what ya want. Zoro will draw away the beasts so they don't pick up the deception right away."

Sanji's tail wagged furiously, causing Law some aggravation as his fur colored his shoulders and hair. Seeing that he was right, Ussop gave himself an arm pump while Kid looked pissed. Law caught his expression, smirking as he reached up and gave the animal around his neck a rewarding scratch between his large ears. Kid rolled his eyes.

" _Whatever,_ " he muttered. "Once we're inside, give it a minute, Luffy. Let's find this stupid lab, first. Then we engage."

"Just a _minute_ ," Luffy reaffirmed.


	28. Chapter 28

A/N: They're so _cute_. So _**awkwardly**_ cute. So powerfully awkward and _**dense**_ that I just cringed writing it. XD Thank you for the reviews! I do enjoy this story to bits and pieces, so it makes me happy you're enjoying it, too :D I've had a weeklong migraine so PUHLEASE excuse anything that stands out weird. Or let me know so I can correct it ASAP.

 **: : Twenty-Eight**

The colony nearly resembled a city from their time – with paved streets, productive factories that lined the back walls, electricity that helped illuminate building and street signs. Active vehicles traveled narrowed one-way streets – pedestrians were dressed in finery that made it plainly obvious that Dalton's words were true; these people were advanced in a manner that made the quartet feel almost at home. Their uniforms were white with traces of gold – without any visible weaponry. The one in charge was smiling and upbeat, assuring them that they'd been expected. Drum Peak had notified them that they were coming, so the colony was prepared to receive them as welcomed guests.

Kid noticed that both Ussop and Zoro were giving looks of disdain, treated subtly different from the rest of them. It irritated him right away that they were pointedly ignored and disregarded – almost as if they were back at Iceburg's direction. But both of them were too occupied with taking in the sights with visible awe, careful to keep to themselves. He did notice that Zoro kept looking at their guide with suspicion, the guide's eyes slightly narrowed every time they managed to make contact – it was a man thing, or an animal thing because Zoro's neck and shoulders were rigid, and Sanji kept snarling at the man every time he answered one of Law's questions.

He wanted to be let into the secret, but he had no subtle way of going about it.

"Ours flourished due to the precautions taken before the missiles hit," their guide said cheerily, twisted in his seat to do so. "Once it was deemed safe to venture onto surface, our colony was established with all the provisions and infrastructure needed to help it grow! We do have the largest settlement here on the island - expanded over the foundation to provide safety, security and prosperity to those that have found us."

"Dalton told us little about this place," Law said, reaching up to pat on the subtly growling fennec fox around his neck. "It seemed he wasn't quite familiar with it."

"We provide occasional trade with Drum Peak, but because of Warpol's actions, we weren't entirely established as 'friendlies'," the man said with a slight wince. "Warpol wasn't a nice guy – so it's cool that he was defeated in battle by the lot of you. Now maybe we can extend some lines between each other to help each other out!"

"Dalton informed you of our expectations?"

"Oh, definitely!"

"Then how soon can we do it?" Kid asked grumpily.

The guide looked a little off-centered, then said hastily, "Whenever you're ready. I'm sure our ruler will have no problem with wanting to meet you right away. But we've prepared room and board for all of you. I assure you, we come at you with peace – we're just as interested as you are about this."

"You've no idea what we're here for, do you?" Perona asked curiously, tilting her head as Luffy picked his nose, utterly lost.

The guide smiled cheerily at her. "Of course we do! Dalton informed us you lot were interested in settling somewhere comfortable!"

Kid couldn't help but exchange glances with Law, feeling suspicious already. Either the guide wasn't fully informed of their intentions, or he was using Dalton's name as a guise to earn their trust. So Kid settled on the colony being notified by survivors of Drum Peak's brief battle what three of them were capable of – irritating him even further that only three of them were relatively unknowns and had the advantage. He had to stay on guard – he had to accept that his power had been recognized and that he'd be treated cautiously. With how secure the group was with them already, Kid supposed that Zoro's and Sanji's instincts to be on high alert against other potential beasts were necessary. And judging from the colony's seemingly advanced state, it wasn't going to be as easy as it was strolling into Drum Peak. The anticipation of a greater battle against a more formidable foe made him shiver.

"It's not that cold," Zoro told him. "But do you want my jacket?"

"Oh! No…no I wasn't…" Kid trailed off clumsily, feeling his ears warmed. _He noticed me_! he thought warmly.

"You just want to see him shirtless, you pervert," Perona hissed with a knowing smirk.

"I'M NOT COLD!"

"Zoro, he's _way_ bigger than you are, so him sharing his clothes with you would be dumb," Luffy pointed out, Kid wanting to die of embarrassment.

"I was thinking he could use it as a scarf, or something," Zoro said with a puzzled look.

"It's projected to be cold this year," their guide said with concern to Kid. "Don't worry, we've got some clothing a little more reasonable than Drum Peak's material. They're at a higher elevation, but we're more sea level – it's a lot cooler here all year than anywhere else. We see a lot of fog."

"Then we're close to the sea?" Law asked curiously.

"Yes! It's right over that wall, there. We're further down the coast from Iceburg's colony – it's actually accessible if we had the means to travel up the coast waters, but due to certain events, we haven't actually tried. Sea creatures are…still relatively unknown to us. The danger is too risky to involve the lives of braver adventurers."

"Who is your leader?" Law asked, noting that nosy bystanders were looking at them as they passed.

"His name's Spandem! He's a great guy, he's very excited to meet you."

The structure within the center of town was shaped with high walls, and a single tower. It reminded the quartet more of a military-based building – eerily similar to the one that stood over the bunker. Accessed by heavy stone gates that gave Kid a weird feeling of unease, it seemed simple and unassuming. Luffy cleared his throat noisily, hands fiddling in his lap as he looked around himself with a frown. Perona fiddled with her hair while Law felt his teeth clench.

Unsure of the unease, Zoro looked around himself with a grim frown. He could smell the heavy stench of beasts all around him – almost similar to strolling into an animal's den. But it was a mixture of scents – not one stood out.

Sanji nosed Law's jaw impatiently, rising to steady himself on his shoulders. He sniffed the air then hastily fitted himself back around his neck with some anxious whining, Law reaching up to pat his flicking ears.

"That's a weird looking animal you have," their guide said to Law. "Never seen that kind around here."

"Found him in the desert."

"He's snack sized for the bigger guys! Heh, better keep him close – it's easy to lose pets around the colony here. My name's Kaku, by the way. If ya'll need anything, just holler! Spandem wants you guys comfortable, first, so let me show you guys to your rooms, I'll have some food delivered. Then we can all meet formally for dinner. It must've been a hard journey from Drum Peak – it gets tough out there."

"We have good people guiding us," Kid assured Kaku, gesturing at the pair sitting behind him.

Kaku gave Ussop and Zoro a dismissive glance. "Look, here we are!"

"It doesn't bother us," Ussop then whispered to Kid once he had a chance.

The van parked, Kaku springing out cheerily. Servants in formal clothing greeted them with awed expressions as they unloaded from the vehicle. They held trays of fruit-flavored water and boxes of snacks, things that Luffy immediately helped himself to. Once again, Kid found himself towering over most of them – he hoped that this colony wasn't the type to rely on plant based foods like Iceburg's. Everyone looked so small and slender – and expectedly snobbish as their expressions changed upon seeing Ussop and Zoro emerge. A few of the women suddenly crowded around him, holding out their trays with expectant gestures.

Their blushing faces and suddenly shy expressions made him freeze; a few of the males swarmed around Perona with insistent prodding that she use them as a crutch, falling over themselves to offer her comfort. She looked a little off-balance at the attention, sputtering.

"As you can see, you guys are a little unusual," Kaku said with some embarrassment, shooing some of the more enthusiastic servants away. "Guess we can't lose you, should you happen to wander off. Where are you guys from, exactly, to give you so much height and weight? Maybe we could reach out to that colony for some health tips!"

"Good luck with that. Why can't we meet with Spandem now?" Law asked impatiently, Sanji growling at his neck when a servant pushed in too close.

"We can take your pet for a walk while you get rested up," Kaku suggested. "But Spandem is needed downtown for a little infrastructure meeting – we're thinking about expanding our walls and extending our access road north."

"We could use the break," Perona said. "I want to see the pretty clothes and take a bath! I swear, if any of you ruin that, I will make your lives infinitely more miserable."

"I want to eat," Luffy whined, his mouth already full while Ussop picked what he could from the box he held.

"Let me take you to your rooms. As we were expecting you, we have them all ready for you," Kaku said, leading the way.

"Zoro could room with me," Kid suggested hurriedly. "Luffy, take Ussop."

"Ooh, you're getting so _bold_ ," Perona said with disgust as she was led away.

"FOR _REASONS_!" Kid bellowed after her, startling those around them.

"He gets nervous by himself, that's all," Luffy said with a puzzled expression, slinging an arm around Ussop's shoulders. "He's never alone. And Zoro can deal with his bossiness somehow."

"It's not a big deal," Zoro said, hand resting on his swords while Kid sputtered noisily. "It'd probably be a good idea, though. There's a lot of tension here."

"No tension," Kaku returned, a touch snidely. "It's just that we don't normally have visitors such as yourselves here."

"Are you directing that just to him, or to all of us in general?" Kid asked him shortly, taking a few steps forward to speak to Kaku directly. Kaku held his up in a peaceful gesture.

"I'm talking about all of you," he said quickly. "You're all a sight to be seen, and from what Dalton had said about you, everyone is interested in how you defeated Warpol. Warpol's abilities were amazing, but for you three to have defeated him as you had – it's all of interest. Spandem is truly excited to talk to you."

Law switched Kid out before the redhead could speak again, exchanging him with one of the servants. The three of them were surprised at the change, nearly tripping in mid-walk. "Dalton informed your leader that we were on our way to converse with him about settling down," Law repeated with heavy emphasis. "Had he mentioned anything else?"

"Just to make you all comfortable," Kaku said, patting at his clothes with a nervous gesture.

The halls were wide and open – Kid noticed that Zoro kept making snorting sounds, and Sanji moved uneasily around Law's shoulders. Both animals seemed incredibly anxious, Ussop whispering occasionally to Zoro over something that made Kaku suspicious. Kid thought that the clean hallways were too similar to those of the bunker – plain, gleaming with antiseptics and practicality. He knew he wasn't the only one comparing the sights, for the other three looked tight-faced and their limbs were rigid.

He kept expecting to see Marine insignia, and was almost disappointed when he didn't.

Their rooms were located in a quiet area that overlooked some green gardens – there were fountains spewing cool water over wide-lipped containers, with birds taking advantage of it. The grass was green and well-maintained, the shrubbery bright and flowery. It seemed peaceful – but Kid couldn't shake the unease.

The room they were shown was as big as the living area in the bunker – wide, colorful, with useful pieces of furniture that made Kid think of it as what an apartment would look like. Every bit of it was wood and stone – giving it a sort of modern look to it that it made him cringe. The servants hurriedly moved about, shaking the curtains and ensuring the heaters were working properly around the massive bed. There was a pile of clothing sitting at the edge of the bed, and one of them gruffly mentioned he'd return shortly with Zoro's.

Zoro glanced around the room, then ventured to the bed – there was a particular smell in the place that tugged at his memory, but he wasn't sure what it was. He touched the fabric that was folded into neat piles at the edge, needing to consult with Sanji on the different scents.

"I don't think you should wear that," he then said to Kid.

"Why?" Kid asked curiously, turning away from the huge bathroom that was already brilliantly lit, the tub ready for use.

"It…smells funny," Zoro then said clumsily. "I'm not sure why, but it smells…"

Kid's mouth twisted into a funny grin before he cleared his throat, struggling to hide his somewhat pleased expression. "It smells like…someone else?"

"Well, there's that, too," Zoro said, finding Kid's words odd. "There's an animal present, but it ain't that."

"Like, if I wear it, you'd smell…another guy on me?"

"Like a mineral," Zoro said, furrowing his brow. He nodded, sure that was the right word for the scent that niggled at the back of his mind. "It smells like a mineral."

Disappointed, Kid frowned but he reached for the clothes. Once he grasped it, something settled over him like a familiar weight. He put it away from him, startled at the sensation.

"Not only that, there's a strong smell of construction here," Zoro added thoughtfully, looking around the room. "New. Like this building just came up."

Before Kid could say anything Zoro hurried to the door, opening it to admit Law before he could push it open. He slammed the door shut on the servant following behind him as Sanji leapt from his shoulders, darting over to the bed. He raced around it wildly, screeching as Law approached them stoically.

"It's infused with seastone," he said, Zoro lighting up at the mention. "These clothes, blankets – don't wear anything. The fact that they even have these things in their possession should be warning enough that Dalton wasn't the one to consult with them."

"I knew that!" Kid snapped at him, swatting at Sanji as the fox exhausted himself running around the bed so frantically. The fox then began digging at the blankets, Zoro walking over to assist when prompted. The pair watched as the wolf pulled at a single sheet that was dull grey in color, slightly rough in texture. But he removed it from the bed, folding it awkwardly over one arm as Sanji continued to sniff around.

"With that warning in mind, they're prepared for us. This meeting with Spandem should yield the same results," Law said with an unsettled look. "If we give away anything right now, we'll lose any chance we have of getting to that damn lab. So don't mess anything up!"

"The fact that they think they're leading us into a trap isn't something you should lecture me over," Kid muttered with annoyance. "What's with the dramatic entrance?"

"They're _smothering_ ," Law snapped. He gestured at Zoro as the wolf tossed the blanket into the nearby walk-in closet, shutting the door behind him. "You, idiot – be yourself. Throw them off as to what you truly are. They won't suspect that you're a threat until the last second."

"Thanks for the advice," Zoro muttered.

"The other two are on their own. Luffy is the only one that should be approached with their caution, considering that he was the one to pummel Warpol," Law continued. "Perona should have nothing to fear, so I don't really care about her. Looking around this room, it has no metal in it – you should expect that you'll be taken to certain rooms where they will not grant you any access to metal pieces."

"Aren't you the bright one of the class, telling me things I already know?" Kid said with a huff. "I knew that the moment I walked in – you don't have to come in here and tell me shit I _already know_."

Law grabbed Sanji as the fox sniffed around the furniture. He gave an indignant squeal to the rough treatment. "Zoro trust you to keep this idiot reined in. Follow _my_ lead, not his."

"HEY - !"

"I'm not the boss of him," Zoro said awkwardly.

"I trust your decisions over his," Law muttered as he left the room, Sanji squeaking noisily in his hands.

Kid mimicked Law bitterly as Zoro felt overwhelmed with the responsibility of keeping the man in line. It wasn't up to him what decision Kid made, but he understood that these colony occupants were prepared for them. He wished he had Sanji's company, but then he trusted that perhaps it was up to the three of them to keep the quartet out of trouble. He was aware that seastone was their literal weakness – so it meant that their future opponents were no walkovers like Warpol or Iceburg. He was a little excited over that possibility, but the uneasiness he felt was unnatural, as well. Whether it was the presence of bigger animals that dominated the entire place or that someone was well informed of them, Zoro wasn't exactly sure. He knew that life was going to change with their actions, but he had to trust himself and those around him.

"They're probably treating you funny because they can sense you, too," Kid decided with a sigh, sitting at the edge of the bed. He did feel weakness in him, but it was so faint that it felt like natural fatigue; he supposed if he hadn't been aware of these things, he would've slept like a baby throughout the night. He pushed away from the bed with a hard sigh.

"Maybe," Zoro supplied, walking over to the window. "If that's the case, then they're not going to go that easy on us. But they ain't playin' around, either. If'n they're prepared for ya'll, then they probably prepared on us, too."

"They only mentioned the three of us," Kid pointed out. "They only know that three of us were the ones that took down Warpol. They don't know about the…"

He trailed off deliberately. " _Ugh_ , that guy - ! God, he pisses me off. It pisses me off that he acts like he knows fucking everything!"

"But if he didn't have Sanji, he wouldn't've."

"All I ask is that you watch my back. I know I'm going to react – I probably won't see everything like he does. But I ain't going to stand around, letting shit happen, either! If they think they're edging us into a trap, they're going to learn wrong. I ain't going to be strolling into anyone's goddamn cage."

"Fine enough."

"I'm already annoyed that they're treating you guys like shit. Like that other colony."

"It don't bother us none."

"If I start getting all wacky, hit me, or something. Because if they're that smart to prepare for us, then they're going to be smart enough to hide that information from us. I want to know shit, too, not just that guy – "

"Right, right."

" – so it annoys me that - !" Kid trailed off suddenly, looking at the ceiling. Curious to know what caused the man's silence, Zoro looked back at him. He noticed that Kid had his hand out, fingers shaking slightly. His swords trembled slightly in reaction, causing Zoro to rest his hands on them just to settle the movement. Kid nodded with confirmation. "Just as I thought. There's no metal in this room. Look – since they're already all agitated with us being here, I'm going to play into their game for now. What's in that pile, there?"

Zoro ventured over to the pile of clothes on the floor and had just pulled the top garment up when a knock at the door caught their attention. A few servants entered, pulling a cart behind them. They had extra garments, food and some toiletries that they immediately started setting in available locations. One of them immediately straightened up the bed, giving them side-eye as he did so. The expression was of obvious disapproval, and Kid couldn't help but blush at the implication in that.

" _I wish_!" he snapped at the man, startling at him.

"There are… _better_ choices available," the man muttered low. He gave Kid a subtle hand gesture. "All you have to do is ask, and I can present you with your choice of a bed mate."

"I am… _fine_ ," Kid sputtered, embarrassed about the implication. "Oh, god, you guys aren't subtle, are you?"

"We are here to cater to your every need, considering you are guests of our Spandem, and he asked that we make you very comfortable," the man said cheerily before gesturing at the others. "If you should need anything, please…do not hesitate to let us know."

"Is this what guests are expected to wear?" Zoro asked curiously, having unfolded one of the garments and holding it up against the sunlight streaming in through an open window. It was see-through, glimmering gold in some areas. "Kinda indecent, yah?"

"Spandem requests that all his guests wear these garments for the safety of himself and others," the man replied shortly. "Your clothing is there, and you are expected to leave your swords behind – "

"That ain't happening. I ain't gonna draw unless I'm drawn upon."

"He's a _guest_ ," Kid stressed once the man made to argue. "If he don't want to wear indecent things, he shouldn't be pushed into it. And he's my…my bodyguard. I feel safe with him and his decisions, so it's best to leave him alone."

"As you wish, sir," the man replied with a low bow before excusing himself. They left without any other word or look, and Zoro tossed the garment aside.

"I wasn't talking about myself," he told Kid. "I don't care if I'm showing off anything. It just didn't seem like you'd wear that crap."

Kid struggled to control his pleased expression, feeling uplifted. Zoro _noticed_ his subtle preferences – if only the others were aware that Zoro noticed Kid without Kid having to say anything at all.

"Why do you get so red all the time?" Zoro then asked him with concern.

" _Never mind_! Anyway, I won't wear that shit, it's gay – er, I mean, _feminine_. I ain't into that kind of thing. But I'll use something from that pile just to give them a false sense of security," Kid answered, patting his cheeks to chase away his pleased color.

"It ain't gonna hinder you none?"

"It probably won't, but if they know our weakness, I'm betting that this isn't the only source of seastone here," Kid said with heaviness. He crossed his arms. "We're walking into that room full of it. Spandem sounds like a genius – I'm going to need all my brain for this. He's waiting and ready for us – just be on alert."

"You guys just want that lab, right?" Zoro asked.

"That lab, yeah, and just a general beat down. These guys are snotty – I don't like snotty people."

"Okay. You can count on me, then." After a few moments, Zoro then said, "You're not going to take up on that offer of taking on a bedmate?"

"Uh…no? What, like…they're…they're offering prostitutes, right? That's…that's what it means?"

"Well, yeah. You can get them anywhere."

Kid wasn't sure what to think, blinking rapidly. This wasn't an area he was comfortable with, and wasn't exactly sure how to talk about it. He was fully aware that he was an utter virgin about things – gleaming all his information from goddamn _Twilight_ – but he wasn't sure why Zoro was bringing up a conversation Kid thought he hadn't heard.

"Are…are you?" Kid asked tentatively. "Like, you don't do that sort of thing, right?"

"It's been awhile."

Kid couldn't imagine who or what had caught Zoro's eye – he seemed so indifferent to things like this. But he felt a tremendous amount of agitation in just knowing that Zoro was already experienced – he was younger, smaller, yet more worldly than Eustess Kid. It made Kid feel very small inside, very nervous.

"So…you _did_ do that, before?"

"Well, yeah, almost every guy has," Zoro said with a skeptical expression. "I haven't seen any of you guys take on the offers, so I dunno what to think."

Kid huffed with embarrassment. "What 'offers'? This was the only 'offer' ever given since I woke up!"

Zoro frowned at him, which made Kid wonder if he'd missed something. He couldn't imagine _what_ , though. "I guess you guys really missed out on a lot, huh?"

"Maybe that's not important in my damn life! Not everything matters on physical things! Plus," Kid added, "it's not like I was busy making that aspect a goal – I was busy adjusting to this world, to the outside, to dying, to living, to arguing with _that guy_ – I'm a busy man, I don't have time to check things off a bucket list or recognize – we've been surrounded by Marines who wanted us as weapons, not play things! Might I add, the only real thing I've had come close to that was…"

Kid trailed off, aware that he was only sputtering these things with a reedy voice, highly humiliated by his lack of experience. Zoro just looked at him with that indifferent expression of his, showing nothing of what he was thinking or feeling.

"Maybe you should?" Zoro then shrugged. "It's nice to get some release, I mean, it wasn't always available, but it's fun when ya get it."

"…I don't want to."

"Okay. I'm just saying, as a roommate, if you want me gone for an hour or two, I don't mind."

Kid fiddled with his thumbs, shoulders nearly raised his to his ears as he felt uncomfortable with the subject. "I mean, we're here talking about getting to a lab and you're thinking that it's okay for me to buy a prostitute."

"I don't care – "

"Like, it's at the bottom of my list of things to do, so…"

"But if you want to, I can – "

" _I don't want to_!"

"Okay, then, just offering," Zoro said with a shrug, looking at the food cart that was left behind. He picked up the long green bottle centered within a bucket of ice and smelled the cork thoughtfully. He immediately looked cheered. "I'm going to use the bath first, then."

"Okay." Kid watched him go, then felt his brow furrow. He couldn't help but wondered if he'd been proposed to, and if he had, if he'd somehow mixed it up with such an awkward conversation. At the same time he'd already been rattled off his tracks, so he couldn't exactly go back and try to fix it. He curled up his fists with agitation, stomping in a small circle. His hands went to his hair, clenching tightly.

 _Damn, I should just ask_ , he thought to himself, sitting at the edge of the bed. _I should just say something – but surely he knows, because everyone's so damn obvious_! I'm _obvious_! _At least_ Bella _would've said something_ \- !

With his mind now off in another direction, Kid waited for Zoro to leave the bathroom.

Once the wolf emerged, the bottle he'd taken with him was clearly empty. He hadn't dried his hair and had a towel around his shoulders while lacing up his pants, shirt tossed over one arm. "It's like bathing in a pool!" he exclaimed cheerily. "And this wine went with it just great! You should get some more – "

"So, uh…were you proposing to me? Earlier?" Kid interrupted, trying to hide the pitch of tension in his voice. Zoro gave him a puzzled look.

" _Proposing_?" he repeated, his expression turning worried. "That's an awfully big step."

"Were you – look, it's no secret, right? I…I…uh…I think you're great," Kid said hastily, wiping his nervous hands on his pants. "Um, I think it's fairly obvious I like you – "

"You do? _Why_?" Zoro asked, absolutely bewildered while Kid shot him a shocked look.

"What do you mean, ' _why'_?" Kid cried incredulously. "Hasn't it been _obvious_ all this time?"

"Why would you _do_ somethin' like that? I know the others were joshing me about it, but I didn't think it was real," Zoro sputtered. "I think maybe you confused."

"I'm not! I know what I'm feeling, and, yeah, it was weird at first, but it is what it is!"

Zoro just stared at him with horror. His mouth opened and closed a few times, and it suddenly made sense why Sanji had hissed at him to 'pay attention!' back at Drum Peak. But he felt absolutely blind-sided by Kid's confession – it didn't make any sense that this guy who towered over all of them and carried such a fragile temper would look at _him_ and decide that he was acceptable.

He narrowed his eyes. "Do you even know what you're saying?"

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it," Kid replied stubbornly.

"Are you saying you like me, or my wolf form?" Zoro then asked suspiciously. "Because you talk about that side a lot – "

"I might be a little slow in some things, but I am not a beastial _pervert_ ," Kid replied. "And it's _you_ , goddamn it! Why are you not believing that part? Haven't I been really obvious about it? Saying all these weird things? I wasn't sure how these things went, but maybe I should just say it and get it out there instead of behaving like a total ass over someone that's so damned _thick_!"

"I'll have to talk to – "

"You'll talk to _no one_!" Kid screeched in horror, hands to his head. "This is not something everyone should be talking about!"

"I mean, I get it. I'm slow sometimes, too, so…I don't know how to feel about that."

Kid frowned at him, then looked down at his pants as he wiped his hands on them again. "Well, really, it's a yes or no kinda thing. If you're into it, then you'd already know."

Zoro examined his empty wine bottle. "It ain't like I'm opposed to the idea…just surprised that it come from outta nowhere."

Kid looked at him hopefully, but he felt a little confused by the choice of words.

Setting the bottle back atop of the cart, Zoro then said, "I'm not really anyone's first choice, ya know. I'm that guy someone just settles for when there's no one else."

Nervously, Kid said, "You _were_ my first and only choice."

Zoro colored a little, looking at him skeptically. But he did believe Kid because he didn't know Kid to lie about anything – and if he did, it was only towards Law or the others in a show to reclaim his dignity. But it did mortify him how obvious it seemed now that it was out there – all those comments Kid had said, those things he did – Zoro really _was_ that dense. He was pretty embarrassed for himself. He reached up to swipe at his hair nervously, pretty aware of all his past actions where he'd disregarded all those things, never thinking too much about them.

He could hear Sanji laughing at him.

"Now I'm all poked up," he muttered, feeling his face grow hot.

"I got all impressed that first time, cuz I went up against a strong guy, and you're strong in a lot of ways," Kid said, feeling his face redden with intensity.

"So are you."

"Then it's agreed! Mutual feelings!"

"I suppose…but you can have anyone, I dunno why you'd wanna settle for something like me."

"I don't want anyone else. And you get me, you don't talk down at me or say shitty things, it's like you respect me despite…all this," Kid gestured at himself grandly, "and I definitely respect you."

Zoro didn't know what to say – his mind went completely blank. But he wasn't opposed to the idea of being attached to Kid; he did respect him, and Kid didn't give him too many problems. He was just stunned that he was thought of in such a manner, after years of being looked down upon by society in general. Kid wasn't the type to hide things, wasn't the type to hide what he was thinking – so Zoro could trust that he was saying these things truthfully. Zoro couldn't think of any reason why Kid would use him.

He shrugged. "Okay. Well…if you…if'n I'm acceptable, then…I guess that decides it."

Kid brightened. It was such a childishly happy expression for someone of his size that it looked strange. Zoro studied him awkwardly. "So…now what?"

"I don't know," Kid confessed just as uncomfortably. "The people in the movies just…well, they kissed, so should we…?"

"I dunno. Do you want to?"

"I kinda do, but I'm nervous about it."

"You _do_?"

"What's wrong with that? Isn't that what people do when they like each other?"

"I don't know. I always thought they did that when they were married."

"I…well, I'm sure those two do!"

Both of them shared revolted expressions at the thought.

"Well I don't want to force it, it'd feel weird right now," Kid then said, standing up. "Plus I'm all dirty, so it's my turn in the shower."

Zoro shrugged in response, pulling his shirt on. It was one of the weirdest conversations he'd ever had, but it wasn't unpleasant. Plus, the more he thought about it, the more he felt okay with it. It would make sense to have a strong mate at his side, and he was sure they'd get along swimmingly. He was surprised when Kid paused at his side and pressed a hard, clumsy kiss to the top of his head. Then he sputtered, hurrying off with red coloring his neck and ears, leaving Zoro to stand there with a stunned expression.

It was nice, but he was pretty sure the height difference was going to be very awkward between them.


	29. Chapter 29

**Naghi-Tan: I love them but they won't be so prominent here as they usually are! Yeah I'm looking forward to this ship lol it's so weird for me but I warmed up to it XD**

 **: : Twenty Nine**

Law was well aware of several things – this facility was a replica of an old Marine base, which Kaku had confirmed earlier with survivors expanding upon the foundation once the surface was declared habitable. He was certain of this, considering the building formation and surrounding structures outside of it – while none of them looked threatening in the least, he'd noticed that the smaller structures gave way to iron fences and narrow roadways that would make it difficult for a vehicle convoy of some type to make it up to the main building. The road they'd taken was tapered, allowing only space for the van, but he'd seen guards patrolling just outside of the stone and iron fences that lined it.

He was sure survivors from the fiasco at Drum Peak had given Spandem enough notice to have the ruler prepared in advance for them –the presence of seastone prism was indication enough, which meant that Spandem could have information on all of them regarding their abilities. But Spandem's guide had also given indication that they'd only had information on three of them – Kid, Luffy and Zoro specifically, since the three were the main destroyers of Warpol's forces. Kid's room had been empty of metal; Kaku seemed very wary of Zoro in particular, reacting to him in a skittish manner that came off as disrespectful. Luffy had been disregarded because Luffy was Luffy. Law had seen enough of Kaku's subtle actions to determine that Perona, himself, Sanji and Ussop weren't quite considered a threat.

Which meant Spandem was possibly running on basic superhuman experimentation that may not have all the information specifically upon the four of them. Maybe Law wouldn't find all his answers here, but just enough to satisfy him.

He looked over at the fox, watching him yawn mightily while curled up on the bed. They were waiting to be called for dinner, and though the down time was appreciated Law was still jittery with anticipation. He hoped Kid wouldn't fuck anything up before they could get the information Law wanted. He dressed in some of the clothing Perona had made for him, disregarding the clothing set aside for him by the servants. He sure as hell wasn't going to leave his sword behind, but he was wondering just how to present himself to an unknown group of colonists that were prepared to stifle the strength of original experimentations who weren't sure how to make a place in this new world.

"Change back," he said crankily, tired of hearing his own thoughts. Sanji lifted his head, large ears perking up at the sound of his voice. Once he registered Law looking at him, he grumbled and resettled with his back facing him. Law used his sword to poke at him, aggravating him into standing. "These beasts that you and Zoro smell – are they like him, or you?"

The fox ventured up towards the pillows on the bed, nosing deep down into the blankets before shifting form. Sanji yawned noisily, stretching his arms before sitting up and pulling the blankets around himself.

"I can only tell they're beasts," Sanji said. "But the guide was strong – probably as strong as moss. Not a predator like him, though. I dunno what sorta animal he might be. Never smelled that kind."

"But there are others – "

"I smell two predators here," Sanji said, rubbing at his eyes. "Very strong predators. Sends my instincts into a panic. But they're men, too. I'll let you know who and when. Whether or not they're _like_ moss ain't somethin' I'm that much interested in. This is your show."

"If they have such large quantities of seastone, then it must not affect them."

"You'll have noticed that it wasn't Kaku that brought us here," Sanji pointed out, and Law gave a vague nod. "Plus, this wing isn't original – it's quite new. Everything about it smells new. That mineral is everywhere."

"Then it'll be both a safe place and – "

"It might be a whole trap. Til Spandem finds out what you're really here for. Maybe you guys all get along?"

"No. Anyone that plots ahead isn't a friend."

Sanji gave him a sad look. Law scowled at him as Sanji was satisfied that the older man was able to correctly read the expression, smirking. "Well, I suppose you have other qualities about you that are pleasing…"

"I'm not interested in 'making friends' or forming long lasting alliances – "

"The only thing going for you right now is that everyone is finally workin' together," Sanji said. "So it's gonna be interesting to see how things turn out for ya."

"I just don't want those guys messing up something _I'm_ interested in."

"This place bothers you lot, doesn't it?" Sanji then asked curiously, propping the pillows up behind him. "It ain't the threat of other people, it's the place itself."

Law wondered how the other man picked that up, considering that none of them had mentioned it aloud. He figured maybe it was a change in scent. "It's almost built like the bunker."

"Then these people were off-spring of survivors from that time, yah? So you think they already know of you?"

"To some degree. Their experimentation must run directly off from ours if they're using seastone prism in an attempt to control us."

"But they don't know ya directly, because they only aware of what was told to them," Sanji said thoughtfully. "When Dalton said that using animal characteristics was the main reason for experimentation after surfacing, that was the popular route for all to take cuz the land weren't settled. Our instincts as animals is super strong – so ya can't think of ya opponent as a total human. Their scent all over the place – more likely they went an' marked it knowing moss was coming. So when things go wrong, don't think humanly. Go 'bout it the animal way."

"But perhaps they're more advanced than that," Law said cautiously. "This facility isn't typical of other places we've already visited."

"Not if they're peeing in every darn corner of the place, they ain't," Sanji scoffed. He settled an elbow over a knee, tapping on his chin thoughtfully while Law watched him – he found himself distracted by the sight of his bare chest, uncomfortable with the diversion. It was irritating how easily his thoughts went off track by a simple sight. The Marines certainly hadn't prepared him for this type of occasion. "Seastone is a mineral, right?"

"It's found somewhere in the sea. Large amounts of it was used to construct the bunker with it."

Sanji gave him a curious look. "Why was your experimentation settled around something like that? Did that mean part of it came from it?"

"Those are questions I'd like answers to."

Sanji thought about that for a bit, then said, "Kaku said they didn't explore the sea – no man in their right mind would. I believe that cuz I can smell the sea nearby, and they got the clothes for weather, but there ain't no scent of seafood inside the walls. So wherever they got this mineral, it's in very small quantities. Kaku didn't come here, which means he's affected by it more so than the lot of you – the clothes and blankets were brought in by servants. Ya'll invited to a safe meetin' place when Spandem could have met you right away if'n he was so excited about ya'll. Considering all that, even the small quantities of this mineral probably affect the others more so than they do you. Cuz while it's all around you, you ain't showing any sign of fatigue or weakness – which means you got a strong tolerance to smaller doses."

Law stared at him for several seconds, then said, "I love you."

Sanji rolled his eyes. "You're _gross_. Ya only get hard when ya being bossy."

Law considered the pile of clothes sitting at the edge of the bed, bearing in mind Spandem's planning. He expected that while some of the seastone was definitely used for this wing, Spandem was going to have bigger quantities in more useful places that wouldn't hurt his beastly soldiers. He felt fatigued when he'd sat on the bed and when he'd handled the clothes, but not in a way that would affect him greatly. His powers would be affected only slightly – not stifled as they were when imprisoned in cuffs or within walls created directly from the source. He rose from the chair and took the top garment off from the pile while Sanji yawned noisily.

"With that in mind, since we were issued clothing to directly stifle us, then I'm going to assume that larger qualities would affect his soldiers. He was counting on us changing into them."

"Maybe it'd help wearing a piece – could give ya an advantage. The others should figure that out – Kid looked like he knew what he was doing. He might be all planned like you, since both of you compete a lot."

"Whatever those idiots do while we're in that meeting, they're going to do it regardless of what I say or want," Law said, unsheathing his sword. He used the blade's edge to cut the sleeves away from the robe. "In the chaos, they're going to disregard you because they don't know what or who you are. While that's happening, follow Spandem. I think he's a smart coward that was thoughtful enough to plan ahead, but a coward hiding behind stronger people. So he'll abandon the area faster upon any sign of trouble. More than likely, he'll run ahead to a safe place – the medical ward at the bunker was infused with seastone that rendered us mostly weak, so I think the lab we're looking for would be the safest place for him to retreat to from us. Once he gives up that location, come get me."

Sanji nodded reluctantly. "Just remember what I said about them animal instincts."

"Luffy will be the one to notice those sorts of things. I'll…follow his lead. I know nothing about animals."

"If ya can tell him in time. Also, watch Zoro – he got no taste buds, he'll eat anything but he'll make a face if something doesn't please him. They might go about poisoning the food."

"Are there any scents in particular that are invisible to an animal's nose?"

"Plenty. But a mineral like this one – I don't think it can be hidden."

At the knock on the door, Sanji shifted form hastily. The door opened at that moment, a servant poking his head in with a cheery, "Dinner is ready!"

Law pulled the sleeves of his jacket over his arms, and waited for Sanji to climb back up to settle around his neck. The servant looked a little disappointed that he wasn't wearing the clothing that was given to him, but relieved when Law left his sword behind.

"I can walk your pet for you," the man offered as his head tilted back to look up at Law. He retreated cautiously as the fox snarled at him, baring tiny white teeth in his direction. "Spandem would prefer that the dining room remain free of animal hair – "

"Any of you touch him, you'll die," Law promised him gravely as he walked out into the hall, seeing the others emerge. Luffy was wearing his set of issued clothes and looking grumpy about it while Perona looked unsettled in a set of her own – she was wearing a dress of her own design with the robe atop of it. Kid wore only a single shirt over his own, and he gave Law an expression of displeasure.

"Did you not find your garments pleasing? They were for your own comfort," the servant uttered with some distress.

"I like my own things. Be glad I left my sword behind."

"I couldn't," Zoro said, overhearing that.

"You're not that big of a threat," Law said airily, Luffy and Perona mimicking him as they were all herded through the halls by the servants that continued to gape at up at them.

"I'm so _tired_ ," Luffy complained, dragging his feet. "I wish we could just sleep for awhile. I hate car rides. I don't want to be in another car like that one. I hope they have good food – maybe it'll help me wake up!"

"You're never this tired," Ussop said with some worry. He settled a palm over his forehead, then touched his own. "Maybe you're coming down with something, a new bug!"

"Oh, man, I've never been sick! Hopefully I don't die!"

"You should've at least put a pretty collar around Sanji," Perona said to Law as she reached up to stroke the fox's sunny fur, the fox cooing in response. Law tripped her just to get some space, and the woman sputtered as she caught her footing. "Ugh! You're such a _brat_! No one likes you!"

Law waited for Luffy to catch up. He had to lean slightly to reach his level, Sanji balancing himself hurriedly. He kept his voice low as he said, "You like animals, don't you?"

" _Duh_ ," Luffy told him impatiently while Ussop regarded Law with caution. "My room was only covered with them."

"You can tell how animals react to other animals?"

"Yeah! I know practically a lot about animals, Law! Why? Is Sanji being a bad fox? Spray him with water," Luffy scolded, reaching up to pat the fox's head and being bitten in return. " _OW_! Bad!"

"When big animals are right in front of you wanting to eat you, what are you going to do to them?" Law asked curiously.

"Beat them up! _Pft_. They'll respect me when they know they don't have a chance against me. "

"So if big animals like Zoro suddenly show up right in front of you, you wouldn't be scared, would you?"

"I…am not comfortable with you suddenly talking to me like you did at the place where you killed those people," Luffy said slowly, looking at him suspiciously. "You tricked me. You did then, and I have a feeling you're doing it now."

"Not really. See, I have no idea what to do with animals. I can't tell whether they want to be friends or if they want to eat me, since showing their teeth at any time is a threat to me," Law confessed lightly.

Luffy gave him a puzzled look. "I think Sanji _likes_ you anyway – "

"When we encounter big animals, then I'd expect _you_ as the _expert_ to understand that it's your task to step in front of those that have no idea what to do with them," Law interrupted firmly. "Sanji is snack-sized to a larger animal like Zoro in his beast form, correct?"

"…Yes…?"

"What do big, male animals like to do when they feel threatened?"

"Fight each other for dominance."

"So when big male animals decide that they want to assert their dominance, what would they do beforehand?"

" _Posture_ ," Luffy said with a knowing expression. Ussop was unsure where this entire conversation was going, but he was comfortable knowing Law was saying these things to prep the teen into doing _something_. He looked to Sanji for confirmation, and the fox only tilted his head with an airy nod. "They'd show a big front to another dude to show that they're big and bad! Then, when they don't get a response or get showed up by another animal, they fight to see who's bigger and better!"

"See, I don't know that sort of thing, but I'm glad that you do," Law said. "So I can rely on you to recognize this behavior and put a stop to it."

"Oh yeah! I can do that! But there's no big animals around here, so…?"

"There are. I'm sure they'll show up soon. This is why Sanji has been quivering on my shoulder since we've arrived, and why Zoro started drinking once he had the chance," Law assured him, straightening up to take bigger steps while Luffy looked startled. He hadn't noticed either of his friends' reactions, but now that Law was telling him, Zoro did smell like alcohol and Sanji was pretty clingy. With a fist of determination, Luffy promised that he'd be on the lookout.

Ussop felt even more nervous than before.

They were led to a large dining area on the other side of the building. They had to bypass the tower to do so, but Law saw that it was only accessible via guarded doors and what looked like handprint readers. The lab was more important than the tower at this point. Like the bunker, he assumed that it would be safe underground, rather than standing in a clear point amidst the small buildings around it.

The dining room was a grand space with open doorways to the outside, with fluttering curtains that caught the cool breeze and large potted plants lining the walls. Perona's eyes shone as she looked around with awe, amazed at the chandelier overhead, over the long table settings. Luffy cried out with joy upon seeing some familiar dishes already placed within the center of the table. Law noticed Zoro's head whip sharply to one side, and Sanji stiffened, ears back and teeth bared as he seemed to freeze against Law's neck.

There were people already seated with empty spaces in-between them. The group was expected to sit amongst them, and this made Ussop visibly nervous. Kaku was there, smiling with a friendly expression but because of the way he sat amongst the others, he seemed like someone they shouldn't disregard. Kid looked pouty as Zoro took a chair across from two men that hadn't looked away from him once. The tension sizzled hotly, like any sharp movement would cause upset between the three. Luffy looked closely at this, wearing an expression of determination once he detected what he'd called 'posturing'. Law was satisfied with that – he could count on Luffy's reaction to counter a threat if the beasts reacted, leaving him clear to act on his own. Sanji pushed against his neck with his cold nose, doing it twice to signal that there were two confirmed beasts in the room.

Spandem was an odd looking man with a curiously stiff face – his purple hair raggedy at his shoulders, but dressed like an officer; the sight of him automatically made Law's back tight. He took the chair closest to him while Sanji hissed at the man seated next to him, the man managing to tear his eyes from Zoro to look at him with amusement, and a lick of his lips.

Law didn't give these two too much attention – he already counted on Luffy handling them if the situation called for it. One of them was quietly intense with a ridiculously groomed goatee and dark hair, the other with a long braid and a fu Manchu that looked fake. Sanji seemed to tremble against his neck as he impatiently licked and nibbled at his face to warn him of those that he'd deemed threatening.

" _Welcome_!" Spandem cried, and his voice made Perona twitch. She seated herself next to the only woman at the table, giving her side-eye as her eyes roved over the woman's low-cut dress. The woman clearly disregarded Perona, which made her pout.

As everyone settled into their seats, Luffy reaching automatically for the closest platter, Spandem finally sat at the head of the table. Ussop slapped Luffy's hand with a hiss, reaching in front of a green haired man to do so. Law noticed that all of them kept looking at Kid with curiously inquisitive glances, as if looking for something.

"That's a cute little pet you have there," the man sitting to Law's left said, his eyes practically glimmering as they swept over Sanji. Law did find himself curious about his fu Manchu – but he wasn't Luffy; he could control his impulse to tug on it to see if his theory was correct.

"We normally don't allow animals at the table," Spandem said patiently. "In fact, we're a vegan based society! No leather, no fur – but we make exceptions upon occasion, such as this meal! I thought it would be nice to share a leg with some exciting guests! Dig in! This food was prepared with love!"

Luffy didn't need to be told twice. Sanji growled, nervously perching onto Law's other shoulder as the man kept eyeing him. Servants moved about quickly to prepare plates for their guests, everyone eating with a sense of appreciation. He didn't bother with his own settings as he looked to Spandem, but felt Sanji moving restlessly, sniffing at the food with an investigatory gesture. It bothered him to focus on the animal, considering that Sanji might be hungry so he picked up some pieces of meat served and tore strips carefully, making them bite-sized for the animal's small mouth. He fed them to Sanji, the animal taking chewing nervously. Spandem looked at the action with disapproval.

"I can have someone feed him in another room," Spandem offered.

"He is my emotional support animal," Law said, a touch sarcastically.

"That rat can give you emotional support?" the other guy asked skeptically. " _How_?"

"I have been given a psychiatric disability diagnosis that requires use of a trained animal to make me feel safe in social settings."

"…Huh. So, what, you're…like crazy, or something?"

"Something of that nature."

The man sitting to his right snorted as he looked over at Sanji with a slight sneer. Sanji stopped eating and quickly huddled against Law's neck. "Looks like it's the other way around."

Law ate the pieces of meat Sanji had dropped, causing both men to give expressions of revulsion.

"Well, it can be removed," Spandem said skeptically, wiping away his own disgusted expression.

"You knew we were coming?" Law questioned.

"Dalton informed us that you were headed our way, and considering Warpol's actions, we were excited about it," Spandem said, gesturing for a cup of wine. "Warpol wasn't a good guy – very selfish and conceited, always wanting to start trouble at the drop of a hat. With Dalton in charge, we should have more open lines between our colonies. It's nice to expand when one has a chance – considering the environment nowadays, venturing out into unsettled territory is troublesome for both parties."

"Because of the marauders?"

"Them, and the environment itself. As you may have noticed, the animals and the weather isn't exactly agreeable to our sensitive human bodies."

"I don't want to sit here and waste time talking about irrelevant things," Law interrupted. "Dalton informed you of our intentions. I want to expand on that."

"You're looking for a proper settlement, eh?" Spandem asked curiously, unable to stop himself from looking at Sanji with a frown. "Your animal is looking at me funny. He doesn't attack, does it?"

"It's not a settlement we're looking for," Law said. Sanji whined, pacing over Law's shoulders before dropping down into his lap, ears flat as he made himself as small as possible. "We were headed to a ferry in search of an ill-fated island when Dalton's forces found us. Unfortunately, we were near death due to the environmental circumstances. I'm afraid a few of us reacted impulsively before we could determine Warpol's true intentions, and thus his defeat. It was only after that we'd learned of Germa's demise, and have to revise our plans."

Spandem frowned at him, and Law wondered what it was about his face that made it look as if he wore a mask of some kind.

"You were searching for Germa?" the one with the goatee asked curiously.

"Lucci, he's talking to _me_ ," Spandem scolded before looking at Law. "You were searching for Germa? That island's long gone! It was blown up from the inside – why would you search for that?"

"One of our party belongs to it," Kid interrupted. "So we were returning him."

"No one escaped the implosion! The entire family was killed – I heard it was an assassination attempt!" Spandem said with a puzzled expression. Law noticed the way he glanced Kid's way, which interested Law's curiosity as to why Kid was being regarded so closely. "It may have well been, considering they were the type to conquer other colonies to support theirs, so no one misses them."

"Their labs were of interest to me," Law said.

" _Why_?"

"Who was it you were trying to return?" Lucci asked curiously. Spandem waved a hand at him impatiently, hissing that he was in control of the questioning. Lucci looked annoyed as Law kept that question under consideration; he had the thought that perhaps Spandem suspected Kid of being the escapist. Sanji had mentioned that he'd been cast away to die because he was a failure, a reject of their experimentation – with the way Spandem kept looking to Kid, it made vague sense to Law that Kid was perhaps a close match to Sanji's family's expectations. A new plan began to form.

He answered Spandem's question.

"Iceburg had informed me that their information dates back to two hundred years."

"Ah," Spandem muttered, chewing furiously. " _Everyone_ wanted that information, because it was considered the closest copy to the originals. No one knows where the originals are, by the way. Are you a tribe trying to find your origins? Where are you from?"

"I am from Iceburg's colony. I've grown aware that many experiments were lost from their point of origin. I want to understand why they were released suddenly after being tampered with. It was rumored that many either fell ill from their experimentation or perished under those same circumstances – I want to investigate that further to see if there are any considerations I should have to take with any of my…friends before I return them."

Spandem gave him a suspicious look. "Are you an archeologist? Or a scientist?"

Law deliberately looked to Kid, who froze in mid-chew, puzzled by the expression. He was satisfied to note that the brief glance was noted by those watching closely. He took a few seconds to compose himself, scratching Sanji's back lightly. The fox snapped at him for the treatment.

"They've caused an unforgiveable mess within Iceburg's colony, causing a mutiny that forced Iceburg to expel them from inside of the walls," Law added. He was treated to glares from those of his party and he ignored them. "So I had thought it would be best to return them to their places of origin, and do some research while I was at it. I hope to return to my colony with useful information in the event that others found safety under Iceburg's rule."

"So you aren't formally an archeologist, you're just… _curious_ ," the other man said from aside of Law, giving him a suspicious look. In return, Law glanced at Kid, as if seeking approval. Kid looked back at him blankly, utterly lost to the expression.

"Jabra, nothing more from you. This is an _adult_ conversation. You, you and…you," Spandem said, looking to Kid, Luffy and Zoro while Jabra looked at Spandem with a sputter. "You guys don't remember where you come from?"

"No. I was removed from home at a very young age," Kid muttered. He grew aware that Spandem was looking at him closely, and he couldn't help but shiver a little.

"No clue," Luffy said while Zoro shrugged.

"Iceburg was proud to mention that survivors of any descent were welcomed inside his walls," Law added. "So he accepted any and all that were knocking at his gates. Because of the trouble caused by these new additions, I thought it would be necessary to help return them."

"What a mission!" Spandem said with approval.

"But while I grew involved in this task, I realized that I was missing huge keys of information. Firstly, none of them knew where they came from. Also, why were they were originally dispelled from their homes, and if I should place warning to others as the result of any potential and ultimately dangerous contagions that tax their bodies. They are and have been injected with dangerous chemicals, so what danger lies in that? I was surprised that there was no information upon this. I understand that these project copies originated from a military base on the coast, but even that information was lost in time. Was the point of these projects intended for another war? Or for selfish advantages over others?"

Lucci gave Law a considering look. "For a common 'friend' with a heavy reliance on an emotional support animal, you speak so eloquently."

"As a shut-in, I immersed myself into schooling. I'd much rather read, but I'd seized the opportunity of an adventure after realizing my socialization skills are lacking."

"He's a _nerd_!" Perona said with a sneer. "No one likes him!"

"All experiments are gestures of war," Spandem told Law with a concerned frown. "Genetically manipulated for better survival out here. Once the world was forcefully rearranged, it was necessary as a response to upheaval."

Law regarded him with a cold look while Kid pointed with a fork. "But that ruins the point of the first war! The reason why the world was rearranged was because there were weapons made as a response to potential domination!"

"Of course! But those projects are long gone, destroyed as a result of the missile bombing!" Spandem exclaimed. "And rightfully so – the only reason for that response was because humans are unpredictable as controllable _weapons_ – as a result of that, the information of that project was taken and encouraged amongst the survivors to continue separately."

"The base was destroyed because of another country's intentions," Law said.

Spandem snorted. "It was a secretive case of friendly fire! Those projects _had_ to be destroyed because they were declared inoperable to those that created them! They were dangerous to themselves, and to their commanding officers."

The four of them looked at him with mixed expressions. Momentarily stumbled, Law couldn't quite generate a verbal response, feeling eyes settle on him heavily from the right. Sanji stood up and licked his face, encouraging him to focus. Once he was able to think, Law patted Sanji for the distraction, saying tightly, "That seems…quite rude."

"But it didn't work, did it?" Kid asked with a stressed gesture. He struggled to keep himself composed, but he felt like exploding upon hearing this. Zoro looked at him with a concerned frown. He handed him his glass of wine, and Kid took it with slightly shaking hands. He threw it back – his first taste of alcohol was horribly bitter and strong, and he coughed noisily after swallowing.

Barely managing to compose himself, Kid then snapped, "Because people are still using those copies as to make human weapons! And it still ain't working out because _they're_ being rejected! So it wasn't as if this were a successful problem – _project_!"

Spandem shrugged. "Well, to be honest, not everyone has good intentions. But there really hasn't been any social upheavals as a result of these projects – they either end up destroying themselves because of their failure to thrive, or were lost, expected to die in the unforgiving environment outside a colony's walls. The only real threat was that damn island."

"You are aware of the circumstances surrounding the original project?" Law asked. "How does that work when the information was lost?"

"Only because the survivors of this colony originated from the officers directly involved with the project in the first place," Spandem said. But he wore a smirk that made Law feel uneasy, feeling that Spandem held back on saying anything more regarding that. With a twist and flairy show of his fork and knife, Spandem stabbed at his steak. "Information was passed down through generations to carry on the projects individually, once the surface could be settled. Unfortunately, mutiny arose and that was why the information leaked out to various colonies who debauched the original project. As expected of human beings, they stabbed each other in the back to make a better project. Germa was one of those colonies – they used it to perfect artificial soldiers. Like I said, no one misses those guys."

"Wouldn't the first project have names to them?" Perona asked curiously. "I mean, the original copies would be named and lettered, so of course their names would be just as important as their history."

Spandem gave her a blank look. " _No_. The original projects weren't named because of the secrecy involved! Don't ask anymore stupid questions."

"So they're free to roam under the comfort of anonymity!"

"They're _dead_!" Spandem exclaimed noisily. "The base that sheltered the original projects was fully destroyed first because word had leaked of their existence, and an order given because they were the first failures! Their own crew could not handle them, so they had them killed! Of course, once the world found out about it in the first place, everyone panicked. So they were the true reason for the world's ending! _Of course_ there would be no information on them, history is ashamed of them. It's been two hundred years, so what, do you think they are mummies, now?"

"Or clones," Lucci muttered, causing Law to think about Spandem's smirk from earlier. His hand moved restlessly over Sanji's head, unconsciously seeking comfort from the rising feelings of unease moving through him.

"So you think that _these_ three were a part of that experimentation as well?" Perona asked, too tired to be insulted with the way Spandem was addressing her. 'Lost projects from places that have copies of the originals?"

"Any super human is a suspect," Spandem declared. "Any colony could be sending out their soldiers to take over one for another. Just as you guys had with Warpol. This is _my_ colony under _my_ rule, I won't have anyone invading it for selfish purposes."

"We're not even interested in that," Kid said with disgust. "Warpol attacked us first. We were lost in the desert, moments from dying, and he decided to do away with us. Like we're gonna allow that."

Spandem regarded him with suspicion. "Still, it was noted that you were able to take down his entire armor, fell his artillery – we have to be cautious. And your curiosity is, uh, curious to me. Doesn't Iceburg have this information at hand? He has a woman living there, an archeologist of her own right. Robin. She's considered a treasonous snake against humanity for hoarding information for a heinous purpose."

"Never heard of her," Law said over Luffy's full mouth as he made to speak up.

"But as a reader, wouldn't you be familiar with archived information? It was rumored that she operated a library," Lucci said.

"As I stated, my socialization skills are severely lacking. I avoided people, not engaged with them."

"Iceburg deliberately hid those seeking anonymity because of their crimes against humanity," Spandem said with disgust, picking at his vegetables. "Robin was one of the worst ones. She's a project herself – her origins are mysterious. Why she is gathering this information for what purpose and under whose request remains out of reach. But she goes around the world documenting _all_ projects – either targeting them or rating them. If she's ever found, that information would come in handy – she knows every single project by name, ability and origin – she has a hit list, if you will."

Kid glanced at Law, who frowned ever so slightly. Sanji's head lifted up with a worried expression, ears flicking nervously against his skull.

"And Iceburg _hid_ her!" Spandem huffed. "Why she didn't bother talking to you lot, knowing your plight – well, it just means she was plotting against you all, too. Curiously, what if you were manipulated without knowing it? You said you were going to find Germa – who planted that idea in your head in the first place?"

"We'd know if we were being used," Kid snapped, dropping his fork. "No one uses us for any reason! We're independent!"

Spandem drew his elbows up onto the table, folding his fingers together with a thoughtful expression. He seemed to enjoy Kid's answer.

"It was _my_ suggestion that we find Germa," Law then said after a careful glance at Kid, seemingly seeking his approval. Kid wanted to know what was going on in his head because all these timid looks in his direction was making him very suspicious. "Because it seemed they had the largest source of information on these projects."

"Well, like everyone else that had a hand in experimentation, theirs would have been manipulated furthest from the original form," Spandem said. He gave Kid a lingering look that made the man feel oddly dirty. "They would have never released it to some kid that's curious about it. So, if these people are that troublesome to other colonies, why not just allow them to make a decision on where they'd like to stay?"

"Eustess?" Law said, finding the question irrelevant as he reached down to pet Sanji's head, the fox whining slightly.

Kid cleared his throat noisily, glaring at him for releasing his name. He looked to Spandem. "We're not interested in settling in one place. There's a lot to see. I didn't get out of a tight spot just to lay roots down just cuz someone told me I had to."

"There's not that much out there to see," Spandem said as his quiet group looked at each other with expressions of confirmation. Law felt pretty secure with his decision on making Kid the relative focal point based on their reactions. "Colonies like ours are very rare."

"I ain't interested in staying here," Kid said, looking at the others.

"Not enough fun," Luffy said with a puzzled look. "Everyone seems so serious. And the clothes are dumb. Why do I have to wear this? No one else did."

"I'd like to see what's out there before making my choice," Perona said cheerfully. "I also haven't met any fine men, so…a gal's got to keep her options open!"

Spandem puffed his chest out. "Well, I might be a little old but – "

"Who were you attempting to return to Germa?" Lucci asked again, looking at Law directly.

"A commoner," Law replied, glancing at Kid cautiously. Kid looked to Zoro to see if the wolf was seeing this, but Zoro was more interested in his wine than the subtle expressions being made around him.

"Germa was an island located miles from the coastline, and they used water vessels equipped to withstand sea creature attacks and tumultuous weather. They released no one from their rule."

"He found his way to Iceburg's colony well enough."

Lucci looked at the others pointedly before looking back at him. "Part of Spandem's explanation gave the entire table an idea of what Germa consisted of. Artificial soldiers and genetically perfected children. It was no secret that their ruler created mini-clones of a certain picture – and _none_ of you look like it."

"If he'd rejected anyone from the island," Spandem spoke up hastily, not liking the lack of attention, "then it wasn't a true story. If anyone left the island, they'd _escaped_ the island."

"Not that it matters now, considering that the island is gone," Lucci added with an annoyed look at him.

Spandem frowned over at Law. "So why did he _escape_ the island?"

"It's for this reason that he won't speak up!" Ussop interrupted, standing to be recognized. He gulped once he realized he had everyone's full attention. "Because it's known what that island was capable of – he escaped it for his own reasons, and won't speak up for those reasons. It's come to everyone's attention that their, uh, genetic secrets would be valuable, so it would make him valuable. So, uh…he won't speak up."

"It's fair reasoning," Law said. "As you've mentioned before, everyone protects their project information, valuable or not, so no one renders a perfect soldier capable of overtaking another colony. Please understand that."

Spandem frowned at him. "Well…maybe _he_ was the reason the island was destroyed. Because of the distance, no one understood why it's now missing."

"So it'll rest in peace."

"Unless the saboteur deigns to do the same to other colonies," Spandem said slowly, picking up his wineglass. "Iceburg is not answering any hails; Warpol's is destroyed. And you lot left each one with the understanding that you were the cause of it."

"Dalton is in charge of that colony, now," Kid spoke up. "Whatever happened behind our backs at Iceburg's – like, that's new to us. What do you mean, he ain't answering any hails? Does he even like you?"

"You smell like a lie," Lucci said, looking at him.

"And you have a dick on your chin."

" _Eustess_ ," Law warned, frowning at him. He looked to Spandem once more while Kid reddened, growling. Zoro stuffed meat into his mouth, looking across the table at Lucci. That tension started to rise again.

Law placed a hand over Sanji while he settled his other hand atop of the table. "My pet has been distressed since we've arrived," he said. "He usually reacts this way to larger predators. Is that the result of your own experimentations?"

"Not that I'm willing to divulge in that information," Spandem said. "But this colony is well protected."

"So you have an army?"

"My, so many curious questions! Why don't you eat? You haven't taken a bite of anything just yet," Spandem encouraged, then performed a double take. Luffy stuffed the last bread roll into his mouth, having cleaned everyone's plates while they were talking. The platters were empty, and his body was expanded unnaturally in his chair. Everyone looked at him accusingly, finally noticing that their food had been stolen from underneath their hands. "What the hell? You ate _everything_!"

"I was so _hungry_ ," Luffy complained, chewing the last of his bread roll.

"Yeah, what makes you think you can just stroll up in here and ask questions like that?" Jabra asked of Law, looking at him incredulously. "It's a little suspicious – you're returning people, but every colony you visit seems to disappear, or get rearranged. You trying to do that, here? I object."

"Not at all," Law said. "I had nothing to do with that."

"What's in it for you?"

"I'm a curious person."

"You're a _suspicious_ person!" Jabra hissed, eyes narrowing. He pointed at Sanji. "But _this_ one is the _worst_!"

Sanji barked at him.

"HE JUST THREATENED ME!"

"Calm down, Jabra," Spandem snapped.

Law looked to Luffy, lifting an eyebrow. As if jolted, Luffy sat up in his chair to look at Jabra closely. Zoro wiped his mouth and set his napkin aside, signaling for a refill on his wine while Kid scowled at Law from across the table.

"Why did you willingly divulge in giving this information to us?" Law then asked Spandem curiously. "Now that I think about it, it's rather suspicious of me to be prying, but you gave information so freely that I thought nothing of holding back."

"It's good to admit of your actions before we can accuse you of having questionable motives," Lucci replied before Spandem could. "But you're also willingly hiding the information we seek – we're aware Iceburg was hiding a Germa resident. So we're going to ask nicely, once again, which one of you is him."

"Why's that important?" Kid asked with a startled expression. "So you lured us in here to steal whatever information we had for…for essentially _nothing_? None of that was even satisfactory! It didn't give us anything!"

"We needed to be certain that yours is the group that left Iceburg's colony that day. We are confident upon your answers that you are all well-versed and understanding of the situation, which makes me suspect that this isn't what you're telling us," Spandem said. He smirked again. "We're aware that you all have certain abilities as projects yourselves, but we're also certain that you're hiding a Germa project amongst yourselves. We're very interested in both."

Law frowned, petting Sanji once more as he felt the fox shiver against him. With a reluctant sigh he looked to Kid.

"I'm sorry," Law said grimly. It was a struggle to look as pitiful as possible, but he thought he managed to do it. He hugged Sanji tightly against his chest, the fox giving a startled noise. "This farce cannot continue. We're unable to get the information you were looking for."

" _What_ ," Kid growled as Zoro looked alarmed.

"He dyes his hair, shaves his weird eyebrows and wears contact lenses," Law said to Spandem. "I'm sure once you remove all of that, you'll find a blond, brown eyed man. He survived the sea via raft – his size and genetic structure allowed him to bypass the sea creatures – "

"You –!" Kid exclaimed with surprise.

"I _thought_ your eyebrows were missing," Jabra said with a squint. "It makes sense now that you'd deliberately hide them!"

Spandem had a thoughtful frown while Luffy looked at Kid with horror, as if seeing him for the first time. Perona understood what was happening, holding a napkin to her lips to keep from laughing out loud as Kid looked shocked at Law's 'revelation'. Ussop was confused, but he struggled not to look Sanji's way.

Perona sniffled, dabbing at her eyes. She then threw herself onto the woman sitting next to her, who visibly sagged with the garment pressed up against her. "He's getting mad at us again! _Please_ …I'm scared…I was so scared…!"

" _Huh_?" Luffy exclaimed, looking at her with confusion.

"Well, he's huge," Jabra said thoughtfully. "And those guys were rumored to be huge guys. Made taller than the average human."

"And he has a temper," Kaku added. "They were rumored to have crazy tempers."

"I'm sorry, _my_ _liege_ ," Law said regretfully to Kid. But his face struggled mightily to hold onto a remorseful expression while cowering behind Sanji, the fox eking out terribly loud cries of upset with the treatment. "Whatever your true intentions were with these colonies, maybe you'll find your father's answers here. We no longer want to cause pain onto others because of your sick obsessions. We want to be…free…"

Perona choked on her own spit and forced herself to cry dramatically. "The nightmare is so _over_!"

"I'm so _confused_ ," Luffy whispered to himself.

Kid hissed at Law, turning so brilliantly red that his hair and skin matched.

Zoro looked to Sanji, his hands moving to his swords as Kaku and three of the other men rose from their seats, looking at Kid intently. Before he could make anymore noise, Law covered Sanji's snout and rose from the chair, struggling to look relieved now that Kid was being apprehended. Because everyone was so focused on Kid, he did have enough in him to make a sneering face at Kid, who reached over for some plates to throw at him.

"You fucking – _traitor_!" he shouted as he was hastily apprehended. Zoro stood, ready to fight when Perona jumped on him, hugging his head to her chest.

"They know what they're doing!" she hissed over Kid's furious shouts. "Let it go!"

Reluctantly, Zoro watched as Spandem's group led Kid away from the dining area. He looked back at Law with a heavy frown, sure that this farce would end. He did see Sanji stealthily moving after the group from behind the potted plants, and it made him feel better. If Sanji was going to be there for Kid, then it should be okay. But he couldn't help but look at Law with disgust, the older man holding no remorse in his actions.

Servants quickly emerged from the nearby doorways, reassuring them with frantic comforts and gestures for them to follow them away from the scene.

"They'll discover the deception right away," Law muttered. "So we won't have that much time to act. Luffy, go take a nap outside. Perona, start gathering these idiot ants and put them aside, out of the damn way. Ussop – take a change of Sanji's clothes and my sword with you into that tower – "

" _How am I going to do that_?" Ussop hissed incredulously.

"Don't make me do everything for you. Zoro, Jabra and Lucci are the two biggest threats in that group. Draw them away from Spandem. Sanji has his orders – Eustess will do what he does to escape, it's only inevitable. I'm going after Spandem – if you are going to challenge an opponent, make sure you kill them. If I wind up having to do it, I will not be happy about it."

"Who the hell made you boss?" Luffy cried incredulously.

Law turned to look at him, hands finding their way into his pants pockets. He leaned over to look directly into the teen's face. "Were you even present in the conversation? They mean to pick apart Sanji for experimentation once they find out _he's_ the Germa descendent. Do you want that to happen?"

"No," Luffy muttered, looking troubled.

"Then do as I say."

He walked off, the others looking after him with sullen expressions. Once he was out of sight, Perona had her middle fingers up and out, sharply stomping her feet.

"He's…scary," Ussop ventured slowly with a shiver.

"I honestly hate him, sometimes," Luffy admitted. "They must've given him a huge brain when they were testing us."

"He'd probably stab you in the back and convince you that you did it to yourself," Zoro said with a frown. "That type of person is not to be trusted."

"And yet, here we are," Luffy indicated with a heavy sigh. "Running around doing something _he_ wants to do."

"Why didn't he just implicate himself as the Germa project? It would have made more sense," Ussop said with a frown.

" _Duh_ , Ussop! They were drinking up the sight of Kid since he appeared!" Perona said with an admonishing tone. "God, even _I_ noticed these things right away! I'm sure if stupid Trafalgar had the chance he would've set himself up for it."

Ussop then looked at the pair with a frown. "Are you guys going to be okay? I mean, it was pretty upsetting what Spandem was saying about…"

"We'll think about that later," Perona muttered bitterly. "Right now, we can't think about that. Those two were right – something fishy had happened, but someone thought differently and helped us live. We have to use that opportunity to find out more. God, it makes me _sick_ now that we know why that ass is so obsessed with this stupid chase. I hate to admit it, but now _I_ want some goddamn answers."

"Well, we were given our orders," Zoro said with a sigh.

"I'm not taking a nap, though," Luffy declared, ripping off his clothes until he stood only in his shorts. He looked surprised. "Wow, I feel _wide_ awake!"

Perona ripped off her robe, revealing a strapless dress. "Time to get to work! We'll kick his ass later! Before Kid can! I get first dibs!"


	30. Chapter 30

**Penumbra: I write what's exciting to me, so I'm glad that others like it, too! :D These guys have their quirks – and they get even quirkier as things start to evolve even further! One day, Kid will stand up to Law and his tricks…one day…XD**

 **Naghi-Tan:** _ **Nothing**_ **to worry about! XD**

 **: : Thirty**

For men that looked small, their grip strengths were amazing. Kid had to give them credit for that. He was still fuming over Law's deception, and while he saw the point of it, he was pissed that he was used in this manner. The conversation that had occurred gave him plenty of thoughts – he was still wheeling over Spandem's declaration that the base was purposely bombed by 'friendly fire'. He knew that not all information was the right one – he had a feeling there was still more to come, but he trusted that Spandem was at least eighty percent correct. The place felt like the bunker; Spandem's uniform was near similar to the ones the Marines wore. The people surrounding him moved not with the lolling grace of colonists but practiced military men and women.

He wasn't interested in Sanji's background but now he was curious about other aspects of it. He was taller than all of them, so walking had been forced into smaller steps just to give the others time to keep up with them. Spandem had hurried off while Kid was lead down the hall away from the dining room and into a very bright long, narrow corridor. It felt that they had walked a distance from the dining hall area – he determined that they were moving north from the tower.

He looked behind him with some hopes that _someone_ would be coming after him – his height advantage allowed him to see the fluffy end of a tail, seeing Sanji moving sneakily along behind a man with flowing pink hair. Kid scowled, irritated that it had to be _him_ he'd have to rely on.

"So, what's happening?" he asked with a heavy sigh. "You guys realize you can't hold me down for very long, right?"

"We're not going to do that," Lucci answered, leading the way. Kid noticed that the man looked fatigued – most of them did, and he had to give a little attention to himself. He did feel only a slight heaviness to his body but it wasn't anything that he felt could hold him back. He attributed it mostly to the shirt he wore, but he considered the possibility that this corridor had some of the mineral embedded into it as well. Perhaps it explained their slow gaits. That they were so sensitive to seastone gave him some confidence.

"I could escape right now and lay waste to this entire place," Kid threatened.

"We've already made the necessary preparations upon your arrival. Thanks to the fiasco at Drum Peak, we're aware of what you're able to do. _Flashy_."

"So, just because I'm a _project_ and…part of Germa," Kid stressed sarcastically, "you think you're going to use me? Because I ain't even going to cooperate. I don't listen to anybody but me."

"We have our ways," Lucci assured him, gesturing at an opening door ahead of them. Guards dressed in stark white uniforms carried plastic weaponry – trousers were held up by plastic clips. The brightly lit room showed Kid flashes of candle lights, wood and stone. But it was also moving with more uniforms, all of whom seemed ready for him.

Kid felt the incoming sensation of his muscles weakening the closer he drew to the room. The others stopped to allow the armed guards to take over, visibly weary. Kid set his feet down with a startled expression, recognizing the familiar feeling as the very same one he'd had back at the bunker.

"Yeah, I'm not having that," he said, drawing his arms back. Instantly, Jabra and Lucci changed, their animal forms taking up most of the space around them. Kaku and the others hurriedly dove out of the way as Kid registered their forms. Gigantic roars of might filled the space, and Kid coughed before placing a hand over his nose and mouth. " _God_ , you ever hear of Listerine?"

"Continue forward," Lucci snarled at him. If he hadn't seen Zoro already in this form, Kid would've been impressed in some gesture – but he only looked up at the creature defiantly, unbothered by the fearsome teeth and hulking muscle.

Suddenly both his and Jabra's heads whipped to the side, their nostrils flaring. They caught sight of the tiny fennec fox that stayed standing in plain sight, hissing back at them. Kid almost felt sorry for the thing – it was a mouse comparable to a dinosaur in size comparison.

" _I'm eating that_!" Jabra announced, lunging forward with a hungry yell.

"Jabra! _Focus_!" Kaku shouted at him, snagging hold of his jacket as he swept by. Kid noticed that Lucci was trembling, pupils wide as he struggled to restrain himself.

 _They barely lack control_ , Kid thought wondrously. He noted the reaction of their friends, seeing their stressed expressions as they strained to keep their distance. He crouched suddenly, patting his knees. "C'mere, stupid! _Come here_!"

Sanji's ears flicked in his direction and he darted around Jabra's quick moving feet, narrowly avoiding his clawed hands. He suddenly used the wall as a launch pad, alighting atop of Jabra's back, squealing noisily in distress. Lucci took a step forward and caught himself, but Kid heard his strained breath as his animal instincts rung. His spotted tail snapped from side to side as Sanji darted around Jabra's shoulders, avoiding his reaching hands. The wolf danced about, snarling and growling as he sought to capture the small animal.

The noises Sanji made had the pair completely on-edge – their pupils were so wide that their neon colored eyes were nearly black. Kaku had stopped his pursuit of Jabra, standing cautiously off to the side as he kept Lucci in view. Kid pounded on the floor.

"Come over _here_!" he yelled at the fox, gesturing at him. Sanji leapt off Jabra's shoulders, screeching loudly. Lucci darted at him, much to the dismay of those around him. He clumsily slammed into Jabra, knocking the wolf aside. The gesture sent the wolf into a maddened frenzy, pouncing on him. Teeth flashed and claws whipped out as the pair battled briefly. The hall was too narrow for such activity, cracking under force.

Kid caught hold of Kaku, lifting and shoving him into the two men standing nearby. The woman avoided his grasp and kicked out, her foot catching him squarely in the gut. It was a force to be reckoned with, and Kid lost precious air as it left him. Surprised as he caught himself, Kid made to defend himself against her when Sanji alit onto his shoulders with a wild cry. Lucci leapt at them, forcing Kid to hit the ground just to avoid being hit. The jaguar slammed into the woman, knocking her and the others over like bowling pins. Scrambling to his feet as Sanji leapt away from him to run frantically over the struggling jaguar, Kid saw that Jabra was leaping into the fray to catch him.

Sanji avoided Lucci's teeth just to dart around one of his flailing arms as the others cried out from underneath him. Jabra fell atop of Lucci as Sanji quickly scurried out of his reach, panting heavily by the time he reached Kid. The soldiers were unable to fire with their crew in the way but once they had a clear shot their guns were expelling noisily within the hall. Hit by hard, stinging nettles that made his blood heat, Kid realized that they weren't shooting him with traditional ammunition – it was only a submission type that packed in enough power to have him stumbling. There was nothing he could do about it – his abilities meant nothing, here. Round after round hit him, and he made to run down the length of the hall for a way out, but that end was covered with more incoming soldiers with similar weaponry.

"I'm going to _kill_ Trafalgar as soon as I see him!" Kid snarled, forced into a crouch with his hands over his head. Sanji took cover at his feet, and Kid glared down at him before an idea popped to mind. He placed his palms over the floor, 'searching' for something to respond to him. He felt a faint weight in the distance, envisioning water pipes embedded some feet from the foundation of the building. Above the snarls of the beasts fighting each other, Kaku crying for order, Kid focused on this weight. His body stung with the pain of being hit, his skin exploding with color from each impact. He covered his face with one arm, grunting with the effort of drawing up the hidden metal underneath the foundation of the building. Sanji suddenly darted out from between his legs and leapt onto his back, barking madly.

Kid glanced back in time to see Lucci diving at him – at that moment the floor shifted and rose, so Kid used all his effort into standing and swinging his arms up. Concrete shifted noisily in an explosion of strength, showering those nearby with debris. The pipes were four feet in width, large and carrying a cold amount of water that colored the pristine white hallway. Everyone jerked back in reaction as Kid cried out with success. The soldiers were forced to stand down as he "ripped" pieces of metal away from the pipe, shooting them off into various directions. Men and women dropped suddenly as their bodies were pierced by the shards Kid flung their way. Sanji curled up around his neck, panting noisily as Kid forced the pipe up and through the air, coaxing it to slam through the group ahead of him. It effectively hit Jabra in the back of the head, the wolf frunting before slumping forward.

Lucci ducked as he snarled, judging the flexibility of the pipe. Kid used it to snap at him, taking side steps backward. He lowered one hand to pull more of the pipe from the ground underneath him, dirt and debris coloring the hallway floor. The metallic sound it made as it moved unnaturally drowned out the shouts of chaos around him. Setting himself firmly, Kid turned sideways to rip the thing in half, turning one part of it horizontal to the floor and shooting it towards Lucci and the others. He managed to catch a large part of the group and watched as Lucci ducked that as well. He used the other half of the pipe to bend up and backwards from the floor, ripping through tile and dirt as he continued pulling it up from the floor.

Those on the other end of the hallway were moving to escape – he dropped hold of the first piece and used both hands to rip pieces from the second, using those to fling outward at the fleeing group. He managed to catch a few in the back, metal pieces embedding into soft human bodies. He continued making his way forward, intending on escaping the hallway. Sanji stood up suddenly and barked frantically, causing Kid to look back and see Lucci rushing at him. Kid reset himself and pulled the first piece up from the floor, drawing it back towards him while dropping the second piece. Water and dirt pooled muddily onto the floor, metal clanging loudly against the wall before hitting the floor. Lucci ducked the incoming pipe but was quick to his feet once more. Sanji leapt out and hit the beast between the eyes with a throw of his body, causing the beast to stumble. It gave Kid chance to halt the pipe's path, wrapping it around Lucci quickly. He tightened it around his arms as Sanji quickly darted out of the way, heading up the hallway with rapid barks.

Seeing that Lucci was down for the moment, Kid turned and continued back down the hallway, watching as Sanji led the way. Once they emerged, they saw more soldiers incoming so he twisted and headed in the other direction, the fox whipping ahead of him.

"I'm not running from a fight!" he shouted just in case the fox was judging him for his actions. "I'm looking for an advantage!"

They emerged into a wide corridor that opened up to the courtyard, and Kid found his advantages there. He jerked up several cars parked in a row up against a concrete fence and with visible strain, held most up into the air while tossing one after another at the hallway entrance. The loud crashing noises made upon impact caused a deafening racket. Parts of that building began to sag and crumble, allowing Kid to feel safe for a moment. Sanji watched for a moment then hurried off, Kid looking after him with a frown.

"I saved myself!" he shouted, just in case the fox had any ideas. His shoulders and arms trembled with the effort to keep the vehicles afloat, and he lowered them to the ground. It didn't look as if anyone was running at him for this moment, but he quickly shredded valuable parts from the cars, taking anything that looked useful. He was a little curious as to why the grounds were so silent and still – he expected everyone to be rushing at him, considering what a threat he was.

From the rubble came a loud explosion of sound, Lucci bursting through with a loud snarl. Kid looked at him, setting himself as he prepared to launch his metal pieces at him. The man was on all fours, looking furious and dirty. Before he could launch at Kid, something else slammed into him from the side. Kid was surprised and gleeful to see that it was Zoro in his beast form, both of them rolling over the concrete in a mixture of color and sound.

It was like watching a savage dog fight – fur misted the air, claws raked over clothing, roars and growls filled the air. It seemed like Lucci lost any remaining humanity he had just to deliver scratching blows and snarling bites that ripped into Zoro's limbs when he wasn't quick enough to evade them. Tails whipped and snapped as they tumbled about, each of them going for tender necks. Kid was so impressed with the sight that he just stood there, elated that Zoro was there to watch his back.

"So _gross_!" he heard Perona shout from somewhere behind him. "Get a move on, Bella!"

Growling as his face colored with embarrassment, Kid flicked a look at the creatures once more before hurrying away. He heard a nearby explosion and caught sight of Luffy swinging out from the building, hollering noisily as he alit onto the ground.

" _Free for all_!" he shouted, fists in the air. "Where they at, Kid?"

"More are in that building there, but they ain't coming out anytime soon," Kid said reluctantly. "Where's Trafalgar?"

"I don't know. He went after Spandem."

"Where'd that guy go?"

"I don't know, I didn't watch him leave," Luffy told him impatiently. "Ussop's supposed to meet Law in the tower there, and – "

Kid headed in that direction. "Don't ruin that part of the building!" he shouted over his shoulder, gesturing at the area he'd just left. "They got something hiding in there!"

"Okie dokie," Luffy signaled him, giving the beasts fighting an impatient look.

Kid hurried back into the building. The halls were quiet, but he heard the uneasy chittering of Perona's ghosts. There were scenes of blood and gore the further he ventured in, and he stepped over several messes on the floor that made his nose wrinkle. It made sense why everyone hadn't joined in on the battle taking place outside – Perona's ability worked fast and hard, and he considered that it was safe to move around easily if she was gathering them up and setting them onto people.

These people were prepared but not enough, he supposed. They had been overwhelmed that quickly – which gave him some bragging rights. Colonies and their armies had nothing against a mere five people – four of which had been military trained in the first place. They truly were a powerful group.

Once he reached the tower's entrance way that they'd passed by minutes earlier, he saw that the doors were blown open – it smelled like nitrates and smoke, and he coughed as he waved an arm around to generate air. Walking through the doorway, he came upon a single spiral stairway leading upward.

He could hear Spandem screeching noisily from somewhere up top. Grabbing a hold of the railing he ran up, nearly out of breath by the time he found Ussop cowering at the top. But open to Kid was the expanse of short hallways and opened doorways that detailed a certain familiarity to him. The eerie similarity of this structure was that of the bunker, so it gave Spandem's words some truth. Made Kid consider his earlier musing on the man's position.

Law had Spandem in pieces, holding his head between both hands as he wandered about under the man's frantic directions. Sanji was already curled around his neck, panting lightly – his tail wagged frantically once he spotted Kid joining the group.

"What's this place?" Kid demanded noisily as he kicked aside one of Spandem's legs. Spandem cried out, his hands moving to his legs but separated by distance.

"This is the lab you were lookin' for," Ussop supplied helpfully. "But Spandem's not clear on the details."

"Why not?"

"He was a little fussy at first," Ussop said with a shrug.

"I found out that their projects relied on what they were able to gleam from Zoro's transitioning," Law said, holding Spandem's head in one hand. "They borrowed from that lab to perfect their own mutants here."

"They have a room down there full of seastone," Kid reported. "Couldn't get near it."

"How'd you escape? I was hopeful you'd perish."

Growling, Kid strode up to him and towered over him. "I won't die that easily! And fuck you for the whole show!"

"I was successful at getting what I wanted, but now I'm also curious about that room," Law commented, turning away from him.

"This isn't about you! This is - !"

"They've also cloned _useful_ subjects, Eustess," Law said as he walked into a room, flicking on the lights to illuminate shelves upon shelves of journals, cases that were locked with metal lids. "Not only were they creating beasts, but separate cloning activities. That's how they were able to perform testing of their own to create those subjects downstairs."

"They didn't have that much control," Kid grumbled, looking around the room. "Zoro's out there handling them."

"The cloning process was supposedly similar to Germa's – because of their success rate in creating clones that retained information from a previously manufactured form, they were able to build upon clones that retained memories from centuries ago," Law said. "They used DNA from workers that came directly from our bunker. That was how they were able to obtain the plans on building other projects nowadays – by using workers directly involved with the process."

Kid froze, processing this information. Holding Spandem by his stringy hair, Law lifted the screeching head so that he could address him.

"Where are these workers? Are they located here?" Law asked him.

"I won't tell you anything more! It's obvious you're spies, sent here to take our plans and render them to some facility that's trying to be more advanced than us!" Spandem spit at him. "You're trying to be another Germa! To do that would be other colonies' ruin! It's obvious you'd use that for - !"

"The more I learn about shit, the more uneasy I feel about it," Kid muttered. "I didn't want to know all this – I wanted it to stay in the past! We're moving forward, why do we have to learn all this?"

Law gave him a withering look before he slapped Spandem's face. The man screeched once more.

"There's nothing more you can do to me," Spandem decided, glaring at him. "You've taken me apart – "

"Don't invite shit in like that," Kid complained, hands moving to his stomach.

"First off, idiot, it's important that we investigate this fully because if there are clones out there that know how to put us together, they know how to take us apart. How can you think you can live in peace with that information out there?" Law asked Kid bitterly. "Second, _who_ did they clone? If they were able to retain memory dating back to life in the bunker, then _they'd_ know what to do once word of us being out here is released."

"Then we make sure none of that's released!"

Law sighed heavily, turning away from him. " _Idiot_."

"If we cover up our tracks, we'll be fine! And none of it is specifically being released – they don't know about all of us! They'd assume that it's only renegade projects running about, causing a shitstorm on other colonies!"

"This is a facility directly involved with the bunker, so I assume that the first clones from the workers came from here before they were transferred to Germa. Or Germa had the original clones in place and were working on perfecting them to gain the information they needed to create better soldiers. The fact that it's now gone suggests that an inside accident happened, or one of those clones grew self-aware enough to recognize what process is being taken. The direction was stopped before it could grow fully to maturation, I'm assuming."

"So, someone gotta heart."

"It was revealed that we were removed by 'friendly fire'," Law said slowly, as if Kid couldn't understand. "I have to assume that 'friendly fire' occurred _there_ because of this."

"Even if that was so, then he's on _our side_! Whoever it is!"

"They're not on 'our side', they're against us!"

"But someone _chose_ to _let us live_!" Kid insisted noisily.

"But _who_? If it were Sengokou, he would not allow us to continue on. If it were Cora…well…who knows. With the rate we're moving, we're a threat to the general populace because of your guys' actions."

Kid grasped his tunic with both hands, shaking him impatiently. "This is all _your_ fault! _You_ started the shit with Iceburg, _you're_ the one that killed Warpol, and it was all _your_ fucking idea to storm this place with the intention of getting this information! _You_ would be the one hunted down for your damn crimes, and not us!"

" _Feh_."

Kid shoved him away with a roar of impatience, Ussop venturing in to look at them from the doorway. Spandem listened with interest, eyebrows shifting as he absorbed the information being shared.

"Still, with Germa gone there's no way to explore that option, considering that sea travel has been discouraged," Law said, examining Spandem's head with interest. He then looked to Kid. "Perhaps you should look into that. Being the only one brave enough to venture out onto a territory that no one else would."

"Don't even try to do your freaky mind manipulations with me. I'm used to it, so I know every trick of yours. I'll do what I want when I want and how I want," Kid huffed, crossing his arms. He then looked to the fox hanging around Law's neck, and pointed at him. "There's only one Germa resident here that could answer your questions, and you aren't even taking advantage of that."

Sanji's ears lowered as he growled at him.

Law shrugged. "He wouldn't know anything. He was a child. Children don't retain the sort of information I'd need in detail."

Kid stared at him incredulously. He made a grand show of flailing his arms about as he sputtered noisily before shouting, "Why do you accept that so _easily_? That guy messes with our thoughts the same way you mess with ours! _I_ don't accept that dumb ass excuse!"

"Which one of you is the actual Germa escapist?" Spandem asked curiously, interrupting them. "Even if a kid doesn't remember actual information, he'd remember seeing an actual clone we might have here in our files."

He smirked as the pair seemed to consider this.

"You have pictures of these clones?" Kid asked Spandem curiously.

Spandem licked his lips nervously. "We have…old documentation of older projects that may or may not coincide with Germa's projects. Whether or not the ones _he_ knew were the final versions is up to him."

"Show us."

Law tossed Kid Spandem's head, Kid juggling it with a cry of disgust. He ended up dropping Spandem, the man shouting out loud as he hit the floor on his face.

Law retrieved Sanji from around his neck, placing the fox on the floor before him. He removed his jacket as the fox looked dejected. Carefully placing the garment around him, Law said, "It's not as if anyone will leave this office alive upon your revealing."

"It's not that I'm worried about," Sanji muttered as he shifted form, pulling the jacket closed around him once he was standing.

"Pick me up!" Spandem demanded from the floor, Kid using the toe of his boot to turn him so that the man could see him. Once he did, his expression fell with disappointment at the sight of the blond man standing nearby. " _Not_ what I expected. You're _puny_ compared to the rumors surrounding the Germa sons."

"Now, where are the pictures?" Law asked him, using a flick of his boot to scoop up Spandem's head and holding onto it by an ear. Spandem screeched as Ussop hurried forward, giving Sanji his clothes. As Sanji dressed, Kid turned and began opening the locked cabinets, forcing the metal upward and bending the doors aside so that they had access to the insides. Exposed were several bound notebooks encased within clear individual boxes. He pulled one out roughly, opening it to find handwritten documents and maps – some of which he recognized as building plans for the base; side by side renderings confirmed that the facility was copied from long ago bases. The dates left behind each drawing went back decades, updated only slightly as it seemed more information was gathered. Every page looked yellowed with age.

"This documentation was of the cloning project that began here," Spandem said steadily. "Whatever Germa took from us, their projects would be different."

"Why are you cooperating so easily?" Ussop asked Spandem curiously. "That's a little suspicious. You're walking them into a trap, aren't you?"

"Silence, trash! There is no such thing - !"

"Don't worry about it," Law told Ussop. "As long as I gain the information I'm looking for, any trap will be easy to see."

"But considering he's working for another organization – cuz you haven't found a true lab, you found an information post," Ussop pointed out. "This guy is taking orders from someone else – he isn't that smart to command this entire place on his own. He's giving you bits and pieces that may or may not be true! All of this sounds too convenient!"

"How _dare_ you - ?"

"This is true, but I won't learn more if I don't push the line," Law said. "Mutual sharing of information can be handy – I'm giving him what I want. He's giving me bits and pieces of what he knows, whether it's factual or not. Everything that I find regarding it will give me a direction."

"By forcing you guys to expose who you are and what you're doin', word will leak out faster to your enemies! How you know he ain't have a radio around here, recording your voice out to persons outside of the walls?"

"I don't," Law said. "Unfortunately, there's no way to tell. But Eustess wants them to know who we are so he can make a name of himself."

Kid gave him a look, promising murder. Then he heaved a sigh. "Ah, fuck it. Yes, _I'm_ the entire mastermind behind this shit. Blame me for it. Put my name out there! I want everyone to know I'm the one destroying these places upon my own direction! Trafalgar has nothing to do with it!"

"It doesn't matter if outside persons know about them at this point," Sanji cut in. He adjusted his collared shirt and fox-tail scarf, wearing his old pants and boots. He and Ussop clearly stood out against the others, causing Spandem to scoff incredulously at the sight of him. "They _want_ to be known, that why they making such a ruckus. Otherwise, they could've gone about this in another way. What's the point of making a rep if they don't have proof backing it up? A show of balls, this is."

"Are you with us? Or against us?" Kid asked him suspiciously.

"It makes sense to tell ya opponents what you got to get them interested," Sanji muttered. "If no one takes an interest, then what's the point?"

Kid considered this for a few moments, then narrowed his eyes. "I don't like you."

Sanji gave a little curtsey. "I'm glad."

"Where are the pictures?" Law asked.

Spandem studied Sanji curiously, face wrinkled with disbelief. It was truly only the eyebrows that gave him away – otherwise he was looking upon a short, puny human being that spent too many hours outside, his speech mangled. There was truly nothing fantastic about him, other than he had the ability to turn into a small animal. But he did note how close a relationship he had with Law – the way the other man treated him when he was in animal form was almost as apparent as he was, now.

"You look nothing like the Germa scumbags we're familiar with. Was this all a lie?"

"I'm thankful that I don't," Sanji told him.

"That mad scientist worked directly on his children, I doubt they were subject to any typical lab scenarios that you would be familiar with," Spandem said.

"Were we poked with needles? No. Were we dunked into vats of questionable liquids? No. Were we extracted from lab samples that were regularly tampered with and improved upon with each clone release? No. My mother was the carrier – she was the one subjected to all these things. All we was was born and tested with physical examinations and an occasional nutrient drink," Sanji told him. "Out of all his projects, father treated us the most gently."

"Were you in contact with the doctors?"

"No. Most of times, we didn't know we were receiving any treatments."

"This isn't going to be useful! This sounds nothing like what is done regularly to create a lab-perfected project!" Spandem snapped at Law.

"Where are the pictures?" Law repeated.

Spandem had them leaving the room. Kid ventured towards one of the windows to look out and saw Luffy fighting Lucci. Zoro had taken on Jabra, the animals destroying most of the courtyard in their mighty battle. Fur continued to fly, vehicles crushed under immense weight. With how focused they were on each other, Kid felt disappointed that he wasn't down there to challenge himself; the way things were going here, it seemed like once Sanji confirmed whatever it was Spandem was saying they were going to leave in the same manner as they did at Drum Peak.

In the largest office, Kid examined the pristine condition of the room. Here was where they saw large cages, machinery, tables with trays, rows upon rows of books and tabletops full of iceboxes that kept treasured liquids inside. It gave him a shiver, forcing him to think about the medical ward of the bunker.

Spandem led Law towards the back of the room, where another locked cabinet revealed more books with similar content Kid had been looking at. Taking the one Spandem pointed out, Sanji opened it to reveal very life-like drawings of men in different ranges of ages. Their names were only project numbers; along the margins were the 'birth' and death dates – some of them were only a few days old. The earliest pictures rendered frightening deformities where human appearance was lost under failed effort to exact a proper human being. But the more pages he turned, the better they started to look. He flipped through the pictures slowly, trying to see if any face stood out at him. Once he realized he was looking at the same person, he felt cold inside. It had taken nearly a century to 'grow' and successfully create a human being from extracted DNA. He looked up from the book to see that the shelf was heavy with at least twenty volumes. He assumed that all of them were one book each on an individual.

He moved to flip on a page when Kid stopped him, reaching over his shoulder to press a hand down on it.

"Remove your hand," Law told him tightly.

"Each page turned is going to fuck us up for the rest of our lives," Kid warned. "These… _people_ were created from those we already know. Once we find the answer…how you think you're going to feel?"

"They look familiar to ya'll, then?" Sanji questioned gently.

"What are you guys talking about? You know them personally? How can that be? They were humans that originated two hundred years ago, and you all are just children yourselves," Spandem sputtered with disbelief. Ussop looked at him skeptically – he didn't trust the way Spandem's eyes glittered with glee as he observed the pair's distraught expressions. "How do you know them? After the first few projects, they were moved elsewhere or stolen by Germa, where it is more advanced. Every early project was rejected until perfected for the correct project plans. Which meant plenty of termination for beings that weren't fully formed."

Law tossed Spandem's head onto a nearby table, Ussop cringing at the sound his face made upon impact. He shoved Kid away and snatched book from Sanji's hand. He found the very back page and felt his breath caught in his throat at the sight of a familiar face. The birthdate was made nearly twenty years to this date; the death date was unmarked. He thought about the three sitting at the conference table – it somehow made sense that Corazon hadn't killed Sengokou as he'd thought. It almost felt like a relief. But now he wondered who had killed them.

"So the clones were made here first, but were either sent to another facility for further testing or it was Germa that stole the plans," he confirmed slowly, Kid peering over his shoulder and seeing the picture for himself. He wasn't sure what sort of face to make.

When he realized that Spandem's voice was muffled, Ussop reached out and pulled the head upright, Spandem gasping dramatically for air. He seemed to sense the sudden tension in the room, looking from face to face with examination before speaking.

"The _plans_ for the clones originated from here," he corrected. "The center where the clones were moved in mid-project were actually created…elsewhere."

"Germa?"

"Germa had the technology to recreate their own clones, but they stole our formulas to create their own. It was rumored that they had the original copies of superhuman information, but not the exact clone process. As I said, _this_ base originated from those of the bases from centuries ago. History was stored here until the project was divided and mutiny arose. How Germa got their hands on it from there remains a mystery."

Law processed this information. "Then where do they create these clones?"

Kid snatched the book out of his hand. "We don't need to know that - !"

"We _do_ need to know this!" Law snapped at him. "If it's him, they have ways to ruin us! They can and they will track us down, and do you want them actively chasing you? Weren't you the one who was certain he would be hiding from them, had circumstances been different?"

Kid made a sullen frown. Spandem smirked again at the sudden drop of confidence in the pair, Sanji watching quietly. Apprehensive, Law waited for Kid to answer him, but Kid asked Spandem, "So, these clones…not all of them were perfect, right? This information was stolen from your grounds by Germa?"

"Right," Spandem confirmed.

"What happened to _these_ clones? There ain't no death date on them."

Spandem sighed impatiently. "I'm not sure. That information was lost to me. They could have ended up at the other cloning facility elsewhere, or fell into Germa hands. They could extract what they need from a project to use for their own."

"But you said Germa stole the plans," Law stated.

"They stole it, yes! But wherever _these_ clones ended up, I'm unclear! I'm just _saying_ , Germa has the technology and intelligence to get what they can from a completed project to create their own!"

"This is a trap, you guys," Ussop said weakly. "He's giving you too much information without a fight."

"Shut up, you! No one's talking to you!" Spandem snapped at him.

Law frowned down at the book once more. The drawing was only simple charcoal and pencil, but it included every feature he remembered. Knowing that a copy of Corazon was out there in the same world with them through these circumstances made him feel ugly inside. Made him feel apprehensive and vulnerable because only this man and his colleagues had made the four of them feel so helpless.

Spandem then returned his attention to the pair that had suddenly gone quiet. "What does this mean to you?" he asked. "Why are you suddenly so tense? Not that this project should have anything to do with you, considering that you're loose cannons yourselves."

Law looked to Sanji. "Was this man familiar with you?"

Sanji nodded slowly. He had started to understand with the growing tension between Law and Kid that this man in front of them was extremely important. "Yes. He worked in one of father's labs."

"Was there another man with him? Shorter, dark hair…a weird goatee that dangled down his chest? An older man."

Sanji thought about it for a moment, then nodded vaguely. "He worked in another buildin'. I saw him maybe once or twice. He didn't like what father was doing most of the time, and he wasn't shy about it."

Kid exhaled noisily, drawing the sound out into a low groan. Law closed the book. He reached for another, opening more until he found Sengokou. He dropped it onto the table with a heavy look.

Spandem waited for them to say something, looking from one to the other anxiously while a strange sort of pressure started to grow.

"You know what? I'm done with this mess," Kid decided, turning and walking for the door. "I'm going to plan on building a boat to sail. That sounds fascinating. I'll be the first to explore the ocean! Ussop, come with me, man. You can be helpful there."

"I don't want to," Ussop told him.

"It wasn't like they was healthy," Sanji said with some hesitation. "They was always sick. Father kept saying they were replaceable. He had…he didn't treat them with respect but he wasn't quick to lose them, either. They was sickly, but they could carry an intelligent conversation with him."

"They were…sick?" Law asked tentatively.

"Sometimes it was like they…lost track of thought," Sanji said slowly. "Took a long time saying anything. The dark haired one was always eatin', making father mad. Adopting unusual lab animals for pets. And this one, he was very clumsy. Some days I thought he'd just break down."

Law wasn't appeased as Kid gave an expression of dismay. "Sounds like they were in perfect condition, then," he muttered.

"They important?" Sanji asked.

"When Germa…imploded…when exactly was that?" Law asked Spandem instead.

Spandem told them. Sanji murmured, "A few months after I'd left."

"Corazon used to serve as an infantryman, comfortable with explosives. I remember him telling me about that," Law mumbled. "If they were comfortable with the idea of 'friendly fire', then they could be comfortable removing an entire island of practices they didn't agree with."

"Which would be ironic, considering what they were first dealing with!" Kid hissed.

"If they were clones who weren't fully… 'aware'…then that would excuse them from finding us after memory came back to them."

"Or maybe they didn't have all their functions," Kid theorize. "If every clone was a failure until these ones, maybe they don't have all their faculties about them."

"But they had enough to assist a dictator in creating superhumans."

"Obviously not enough if we're still alive!"

Law felt his jaw harden. "Robin."

"We don't know Robin's story," Sanji interrupted. "We don't know if what this fool is sayin' is true."

"Robin is a traitor!" Spandem snapped at him. "She's gathering information on all projects and hoarding it to herself. For what reason, I ask? What does she need to know about these projects?"

Kid shifted uneasily. "If that's true…then she knows enough about us to raise awareness about who we are."

" _Who are you_?"

"Maybe all the info she was getting from everyone, she was just using them to track us down – "

"We'd gathered information files on you before we'd left the bunker that first day," Sanji said with uncertainty, Ussop nodding. "That's why Ussop went ahead – "

"Where were these files?" Law asked him suddenly.

"Zoro found them in a filing cabinet in the front office," Ussop reported, remembering this with a furrow of his brow.

Law stared at them. "Neither of you could read, so how'd he know that?"

"It was four big files by themselves. They was the only things in there."

"That's too fucking convenient!" Kid snapped, feeling winded.

"So Robin had them when we'd first entered the colony – how long was she living there?"

"Far longer than us being there," Sanji said. "If she knew the base was there, why didn't she get it herself? It don't seem fair to be suspecting her of any wrongdoing!"

"If these clones were self aware and already working on _this_ jerk here when he was a kid," Kid said to Law, "then they were aware enough of us being alive, still. They had the chance to come back here and either finish the job they started, or - "

"But they didn't know we were saved. All the additions to our…" Law trailed off, feeling an uneasy heaviness in the pit of his stomach. "They had the facility bombed…Cora left behind clues. He knew we were still there."

Kid reached up to grip his hair as Spandem looked from one to the other with trepidation. " _FUCK_!"

"Did they _save_ us….or save us for later?" Law questioned thickly. "For what?"

Sanji didn't know what to say, absorbing this information with a frown. Ussop kept watching Spandem for clues, but the man wasn't even sure what the two men were so upset about. After a few moments, Law looked to Sanji.

"Who set you to sea?" he asked tightly.

"My father did. I wasn't performing to task – he set me off cuz I'd failed his expectations. He was disappointed enough to set me on a raft and call it a day."

"Did _that_ man have anything to do with it?" Law asked him, gesturing at the book.

"No," he answered honestly. "The only ones out there that day were my siblings and my father."

"How were you a failure?" Spandem had to ask curiously.

"Nothin' that ain't your business."

"No, answer that," Law said suddenly. "What made you a failure in his eyes? Was it his decision or was it someone else's?"

Sanji gave him an uncomfortable look. "I weren't a beast like the others. And…the full moon thing. Well, that…that thing, it weren't known then, but he knew he didn't like the type of animal I was. Or that it was…how it is. A small animal compared to beasts like moss? Wasn't that powerful for my father."

"Eustess just mentioned that those two animals down there barely retained any control over themselves. You can transform into an intelligent animal that has full control over both forms. You _and_ Dalton had said that animals with the ability to survive the Wastelands were the intention of this project in the first place! With how intelligent your father was to create clones and artificial armies, why would he not think that this wasn't a success?"

Sanji shrugged because he couldn't answer for his father.

Kid gave a heavy sigh. "Corazon always had a bleeding heart for stupid creatures. He probably was the one that told your dad shit like this to get you off the island as a success story."

Sanji realized that every time one of them mentioned 'Cora', they were speaking about this man. Being compared to him made him feel oddly about it.

"Do you remember where you disembarked _exactly_?" Law asked Sanji, gripping his arm.

"Somewhere on the coast. Near where we were at when we met you. That's also where I met Zoro."

"Zoro doesn't remember where he came from, but he's a success story himself, isn't he?" Law asked Kid, but disregarded his action to answer with an impatient wave. "If Robin was working for them by gathering all the information on the projects wherever she could find them, then she was indeed monitoring all the projects completed by the various colonies. Those who were cloned successfully had not completed a successful project – explaining all the rejects wandering the Wastelands, such as Dalton. Warpol was mangled, he'd mentioned his hate for doctors was because of that."

"So…did someone intentionally sabotage the project in the first place, those two knew about it, saved us – for _what_?" Kid asked with a bewildered look. "Only they know how successful we were with our abilities – but we ain't listen to a thing. Or could be counted on…"

Law closed his eyes, giving a long sigh. It seemed it hit Kid a moment later, Sanji watching them curiously as both of them came to a conclusion.

"I guess we'd have to find and ask them, eh?" Ussop asked weakly. "Whether or not they intended on usin' ya'll later to take down the mutiny brought up cuz they knew it was gonna go all haywire like this. Heh. Sounds like they still got you under their hands, whether they here or not."

Sanji looked to Law. He wasn't sure what face to make, but he was amused at their suffering expressions. Spandem was lost, not understanding the communication that was yet to be confirmed.

After a few moments Law braced himself against the table, hearing a slow drumming in his ears while Kid wore such a disgusted expression that his shoulders drooping. Out of Spandem's sight, Sanji lifted a hand to the small of Law's back and rubbed as a way to encourage or soothe. Law threw his hand off with irritation.

"Does this mean we'd been doing what they wanted in the first place?" Kid asked, mainly out loud to himself. His voice was so thick with exasperation that his whole upper torso wilted until his head hung back.

"Where exactly did the plans for cloning originate?" Law asked sullenly. He reached for his sword, Ussop giving it hastily as Sanji gave the older man a look of consternation.

" _Here_ , I said," Spandem said impatiently. "A million times I've said, _here_! We were the original cast-off from the base on the coast!"

"This entire laboratory would hold all the history dated back to then?"

"…Some of it," Spandem admitted. "Like I said, _again_ , the other cloning facility is elsewhere. All the information that left here went _over there_. And, _again_ , Germa is gone so there is no point in retrieving their data."

Sanji grabbed Spandem's head as Law started to unsheathe his weapon. Holding Spandem tightly while the man cried out with dismay over the action, Sanji said, "There's more we should know."

"I think we know everything important to know," Law said slowly as Kid turned away with disgust, Ussop cringing as he recognized what was going to happen.

"Spandem is clearly working for someone else and was told to say these things to you," Sanji said quickly, covering the man's mouth when he made to shout indignantly. "We should find out who."

"I'll ask those beasts down stairs."

"Like Ussop said, he's givin' it too freely! Someone is listening! They gonna know these things just like you, we should have a back-up - !"

"We do," Law said, looking at him. "We have you. The last living Germa project. Spandem was clearly interested in the survivor – how'd he know there was a Germa survivor living within Iceburg's walls? You said nothing about your background to anyone, not even Zoro – so how did they know that?"

Frozen, Sanji could only look at him while Spandem continued crying out, seeking to be released.

"If your father was so ashamed at a failed project, I doubt he would have said much about you after that. So why the interest now? They had years to get a hold of you, between then and now, so why all of a sudden now? Clearly, Robin has a lot to answer for."

"I'm gonna go make my mark on those guys outside," Kid muttered, turning and leaving the room. Unsure, Ussop looked to Sanji, torn between wanting to escape the inevitable and yet supporting his friend if he needed him. But he left when Sanji nodded at him.

Sanji fiddled with the head between his hands, Spandem gulping in a deep breath.

"There is no other party involved!" he snapped. "You wanted to hear this, I thought presenting the facts to you would make you a little more eager to be involved with us as a sort of partnership. We have the facts you're looking for – you have the power I find useful. Using each other would be beneficial!"

"Didn't you hear Eustess?" Law asked him with irritation. " _No one_ uses us."

It took one downward swipe to silence the sputtering Spandem made in response, and Sanji pulled his hands away as pulpy matter covered his boots, followed the weight of the halves of Spandem's head. He was still frozen in place, putting everything together as Law shook his blade free of Spandem's pieces.

He then sheathed the sword, looking at Sanji with such suspicion that Sanji could only look back at him without anything to his face to give away. The pressure between them racketed. The hand that reached for Sanji shook with tension, and he couldn't help but swallow hard, unable to look away from those distrusting eyes. But at the last second Law dropped his hand and walked away from him. Sanji watched him go, his expression careful. Once he was left alone with what remained of Spandem's head, he looked at the books left behind. He stepped towards them, looking over the picture of the man that he'd only known as 'Rosci'.

He tightened his lips.


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: Happy Valentine's Day! (said sarcastically)**

 **Naghi-Tan: And more!**

 **: : Thirty-One**

When the early morning light finally started peering over the mountains, Law grew aware of the quiet. He had been hearing destruction all around the tower for hours, the vague noises of animals and Luffy's shouts ringing out. It was odd how contained the battle was – kept to the grounds within the security walls, without any civilian interference. Either because of the beasts' limited reasoning or those of the crew Spandam had, he supposed.

Everything that Spandem had dropped onto them weighed heavily on his thoughts. Law couldn't sleep knowing about it. What made it more frustrating was how suspicious he was now of Sanji; he was well aware that Sanji wasn't talking enough about his past, and now that Law was aware that Sanji actually knew Corazon –

The cloning project was hard to accept but it wasn't impossible – if humans could engineer other human beings into superhumans, then it wasn't that fantastic of a concept. What made it utterly frustrating that there were clones of Sengokou and Corazon running around, with no explanation to their actions or reasons. It would take awhile to process and sort out. He would have to sit some hours to take down his thoughts and map out the timeline – to get a better understanding of it, he would need to spend time here investigating what the lab held. It didn't matter what the others wanted to do – Law was set to stay here until he absorbed what he needed to.

Kid's mentioning of a room he couldn't get to was at the back of his mind. They'd intended on taking him there, but Law had to see for himself why. Whether it was a prison or another lab; Law had to investigate.

But Sanji…nothing upset more at that moment then knowing that Sanji was keeping things from him, things that were _important_. And Law had to acknowledge the man was good at manipulating, so it was given that Law had to keep his mind and wits about him.

Which made it difficult because of how involved Law was with him. How _obsessed_ he was with him. He didn't know if he felt let-down, betrayed, or hurt. It was hard to separate these feelings because of the current situation. What riled him was that Sanji had to know more than what he was allowing. It felt like a slap to the face. Law had been so involved with Spandem and his own reactions that he hadn't even looked to Sanji to see his. It enraged him that Sanji gave nothing away afterward. Either caught or careful – each one was equally as deceptive.

He and Zoro were playing dumb, Law assumed. Both of them were heavily involved with Robin from the beginning – he should have known something was fishy with the woman. She was too lackadaisical with all of them. He wondered if she'd survived Perona's attack, but he had no doubts that she did. If she was as cunning as Spandem said, then she would have seen the woman's attack beforehand – which brought to mind the disappearance of Violet and Rebecca. The women had disappeared the night Zoro attacked Iceburg and his guards, and even as Sanji and the others expressed their concern for their whereabouts, it had sounded as if the pair left often for trips unknown.

How much did those people truly know of the bunker and its contents?

He heard the scuff of a shoe against the floor and tensed. It felt like Sanji had already stabbed him in the back – any physical action of a similar nature wouldn't be a surprise.

He had taken shelter in one of the lab's libraries, pulling books from shelves and forcing open locked cabinets. Every table in the room was covered with the material he wanted to review, but he hadn't just yet. His mind was constantly turning with thoughts and distracted feelings. He smelled coffee and warm food, and it infuriated him. His temper burned at the edges, and it took some time to coax rational thought back into place.

"You should eat," Sanji said quietly. He could sense the anger coming off the man, and he was sure he knew why. He would have to be careful proceeding from here. He rubbed an arm absently, watching that long, rigid back as Law kept his focus on the window. Whatever was happening outside wasn't something too important to investigate – Sanji was confident that this colony had fallen into their hands just by the others' actions. It was both alarming and amazing how the group could be frightening with their abilities to dominate; he assumed that if they were unleashed onto the world in their own time, it would have been a terrifying rise of power.

He approached slowly, still clutching his arm; it was an unconscious action. The way Law avoided looking at him gave Sanji indication enough that this was going to be a delicate process. So he paused a few feet away, forced his hand to reach back to brace against one of the tables.

"I knew him as 'Rosci'," he said gently. "He told us to call him that. I couldn't tell you exactly what he did at my father's place; I ain't had much contact with him at all. Just if we were about, he'd scold us for being in there. Ain't nothing more than that – "

"Now that the truth is coming out, it would be essential for you to start being truthful to me," Law said, turning to look at him. "Anymore lies or whatever you consider unimportant – none of it should be held back."

"I'm learnin' the same as you,' Sanji said quietly. "I knew about the soldiers – I only knew it wasn't right when I got here – "

"How did that wildfire start?"

"Lightening."

" _Did_ it? After you said that the colony generates its own rain clouds?"

Sanji swallowed tersely. "It was lightening. It brought rain to the fields, we needed it."

"Then you couldn't generate more rain to wash out the wildfire?"

"I don't understand how that process works – I wouldn't answer that right."

Law would have to research weather, then. "What was the building you were told to stay out of?"

"It was an office. Father had his main office there. Like I told Spandem, we had a normal life that wasn't spent a day in a lab; we were…experimented on while inside of our mother."

"How many brothers?"

"I was a set. Of four. I wouldn't know what they looked like before it went missing. We was just kids when father set me off."

"Then how did you learn how to change forms?"

"We was taught in a classroom between lessons. They were beasts – I wasn't."

Law studied him for several moments, looking for lies. "The closer I get to the truth, the more will be revealed. Once it comes out that you actually had a hand in discovering us – "

"Useless threats," Sanji said curtly. "It was an accident."

"Everything was too convenient – from the wildfire generated from your colony's – where did they get the equipment to even generate that sort of power?"

"I don't know."

"From your home?"

"I don't know where."

"The wildfire 'discovered' a doorway into the ground. Yet there was an opening against the mountain where the original building stood that was wide open - !"

"That fire ravaged everything! There were trees and brush there that hid it until then. No one knew it was there until we got right there."

"Yet neither of you can read, and there were files _conveniently_ placed where they could be found on each of us!"

"Ya'll were as big a discovery as we ever made! We never expected to find humans!" Sanji snapped back over his rising voice. "When we worked for Robin, we was scavengers! We brought anything back that looked interesting for her to keep. If they found it in such a place - "

"And yet Robin was well aware of what the colony was sitting upon. She may not have given you direction but she led you into the direction needed to find us."

"Not having Robin here to defend herself – it ain't fair to heap accusations on her."

"And Violet and Rebecca? What place did they have in that colony? Why did Iceburg already dislike them?"

"Because Violet speaks her mind and she spoke a lot of it."

"Yet they traipsed freely in and out of the colony without Iceburg knowing their directions. They housed with you two."

Sanji exhaled slowly. He wished he'd found some cigarettes. Fiddling with his fingers, he mumbled, "Violet had a way of seeing things. Sometimes she was able to see ahead. Maybe she saw something to leave, and now it makes sense why."

"But you don't know where?"

"No," Sanji replied truthfully. "They hadn't said anything – just up and left."

"Are they close with Robin?"

"They were comfortable with each other. But as to knowing all the hows and whys…I can't answer that."

Law glared at him. Discomforted, Sanji said, "I can only answer your questions best as I know them. It ain't much, I know. I didn't know they were cloning people. I mean, I understood that our military was…artificial, but they was very human. This thing about clones, it – "

"Is this an act?" Law interrupted. "This stupid, hillbilly act with your mangled speech? You grew up sheltered in a strict regime – you mentioned classrooms, so you were schooled - !"

"I spent a lot of time as an animal before I let myself be seen. I forgot a lot of things – "

"Do you really have memory problems?" Law asked suspiciously.

"I ain't lie about that. Yes, I was schooled when I was a kid – but lotta time passed between that and being allowed to keep learning! We wasn't welcomed in their school after all that. Both of us just spoke as we do and went on without it. So…maybe lotta things got lost between the schooling I had and…now."

"But if you knew how to read in the first place - !"

"This ain't something I'm proud of! I had reached a certain level of reading at the age I was when I was forced out, and never got a chance to do it again! I can pick out words here an' there, but I ain't no scholar!"

"Having any sort of temper towards me right now is not advised," Law warned testily. "It seems you're aware that you're under suspicion – is it because you're feeling guilty?"

"Nothing to feel guilty about, other than getting caught holding the head of a man you murdered."

"I have no guilt for removing men like these – "

"These things work out because ya'll are steadily moving from colony to colony, eliminating troublesome dictators. That's what you was created for, right?" Sanji asked. "You ain't taking control of these places – you're abandoning them once a threat is removed. It ain't like you're setting roots anywhere. It almost like you're clearing the way for someone else to come in."

Law frowned at him, hating the heavy feeling in his chest. He'd only find such answers with Corazon – _if_ he were to be found. But he had no doubt that those two men knew that the four were released, already making a name of themselves. If Spandem was having someone listening in as Ussop said, then they were no longer a secret. Spandem was part of a bigger picture. But what sort of a picture remained out of reach. All they had was Spandem's words – he hadn't yet looked through the evidence.

"Were you tagged?" he then asked slowly, Sanji looking at him with some confusion. "Were you given a tracker somewhere in your body that would allow your family to come look for you? For a family like yours, it would make sense that you were in the event of a kidnapping or – "

"Not that I know of," Sanji responded.

"Do you have any strange scars on you that you – "

"You looked at practically everything, why didn't you see one?"

"If the sea was considered such a dangerous zone – "

"I wasn't supposed to survive. He set me on a raft and let it drift away – "

"Were you given any supplies?"

"…No. I was sent to _die_."

"Seems rather harsh – "

"This coming from a man that kills anyone that opposes him," Sanji said with a snort. He crossed his arms stiffly. "I told you what life was like over there, many times. It weren't no surprise that he'd pull an act."

Law slowly ate up the distance between them, causing Sanji to drop his hands and look at him warily. He didn't want to back down to a show of power but he didn't want to be seen as a threat, either. Stubbornly he held his ground, refusing to be backed against anything but not making eye contact, either. Every instinct of his rang out with warning but he managed to hold himself tightly in place. He couldn't stop himself from reacting with a startled jerk when he felt the man's steely fingers grasp his jaw, forcing him to look at him.

It was an uncomfortable pain but a manageable one, and he grit his teeth as he felt all of him tense suddenly under that angry stare.

"Once I find out that you were as involved as everyone else, your death won't be as quick as the others," Law promised him.

"I got nothing to be afraid of," Sanji retorted, making to jerk his head out of his grasp and finding it difficult to do so. So he remained in place, reaching back to hold onto the table as his space was invaded. "All this stuff, no sleep – you dreaming up stuff that makes it hard to separate details."

" _All this stuff_ pertains to _my_ life – now that I know it's being further ruined, I want to know _why_ and I want to ask those responsible for it!"

"Then find them an' ask them why! I don't got the answers you're lookin' for."

Law let go of him with a hard push that Sanji had to catch himself against, but he didn't back away. He grabbed his hair instead, yanking hard enough for the fox to brace himself again, gritting his teeth as he thought about reacting just as violently to escape the treatment; but then catching himself because he felt it would be encouraging the older man into more violence. The tension of holding himself back was mighty; a sound of strain escaped him as he clutched tightly at the edge of the table to continue resisting the urge to strike out.

"For all my actions and threats, you're very calm against them," Law observed with a thoughtful tone. He tightened his fingers, twisting his hand to allow him traction to push Sanji off balance, nearly sitting on the table just to keep from falling. "Any normal person would turn and leave, yet you keep coming back for more. Fanning my behavior and soothing it over just to endure more. You have no feelings for me – why should you? After all my treatment, you still come around like a fucking dog. If you valued yourself more, you'd have abandoned us in the Wastelands without a second thought. But you continue administering care and attention – which makes me think you're only enduring for another reason you're not telling me."

"I want to live, too!" Sanji spat at him, grasping his wrist. "I do what it takes to live!"

"Which makes me think you're monitoring us. Just as Robin had. Zoro often visited with her – what reason? He spent a lot of time with her the day we were forced to leave, and never said why. Now that it's clear what Robin is, it makes me suspicious. I always find out what I want. So who the fuck are you reporting to?"

" _No one_!"

Law's knee found his stomach with such a sharp jab that Sanji wasn't prepared for it. So his wind left him in a harsh bark – before he could recover, that same knee found his face and he was allowed to drop to the floor. He quickly covered his head to cover from anymore blows, but Law braced himself against the table, still standing above him. Sanji recovered cautiously, subtly straining for breath as his nose and cheek tingled.

"I don't believe you," Law told him shortly. "Now that I know more, I trust no one that willingly comes by to offer any sort of reprieve to this situation. I'll find out who it is you're working for. It'll be easier on you to tell me now."

Sitting up with a hand to his stomach, Sanji glowered up at him. He felt there was nothing he could do to appease him, so he said, "Then do your worst, already. Because I don't know nothing else."

That wasn't what Law wanted to hear. And it frustrated him that Sanji could look at him so defiantly. Something held him back on killing him – that frustrated him, too.

"Take me apart, mess me up, do whatever you want that'll make yaself feel better! Ain't nothing you can do that weren't already done. The only difference being is that you got to look yourself in the face after."

"What the fuck does that even mean?"

Sanji slowly rose back to his feet, hand still on his stomach. "You got feelings. Don't know why – "

"I'm confident that I won't regret my actions. _Ever_."

"It'd be expected that you treat everyone the way you were treated. Ain't blaming you – it being the only way you know. The only kindness you know is from me, and you don't know how to handle it." Sanji wiped his nose, examined the blood there and then wiped his hand on his pants.

It set fire to Law's nerves, prickling at every one of his senses to hear that. Sanji waited for a response from him and when he didn't get one, catching only the sight of him glaring off to the side, he made his way to the tray he'd left on a nearby table. He brought it closer to him.

"Eat. Get some sleep. Your thoughts will be better after."

He wasn't surprised when Law swept the entire thing off the table, sending the contents onto the floor. But it frustrated him, too, so he pushed the man off balance in response before turning his back to him, crouching to pick up food and deposit it back onto the plate. He used the napkin to sop up the coffee while all his senses tingled in warning. He braced himself for any physical contact, hearing Law's strained breath. It was surprising to realize that the man was holding back – progress was being made.

When nothing happened he continued to clean up, putting everything back onto the tray. He stood up and looked at him, considering his angry expression as he glared off to the side with his fists clenched tightly at his sides. He set the tray aside.

"I ain't going to lie to you," Sanji told him. "I'd give you the truth if you asked for it."

"You are going to betray me – "

"I will."

Law looked at him sharply, feeling rage grow up inside of him once more. Sanji set himself firmly, saying, "I _will_ because you'll do something I won't stand for, and I _will_ stop you."

"You're doing it right now! You're hiding your true motives from me - !"

"An' it's gonna eat you up inside from this point on!" Sanji shouted at him. "Ain't nothing I can say that can make it better! I can give you every lie you _want_ to hear, but it ain't gonna make you feel any better. It's your own suspicions that's twisting up your thoughts, and that's _all on you_!"

" _Why_ should I continue to allow this to happen?" Law asked him, reaching out to grab him by his neck. His fingers tightened enough to have Sanji choke, but he didn't react to stop him. It drove Law crazy when Sanji didn't react to him. Hated the twisted feeling inside of him that acknowledged the trust Sanji had in him.

"Because it makes more sense when you find out the truth," Sanji replied.

" _Then why can't you just tell me the truth_?"

"Because I don't know the answer unless you ask!"

"You _don't_ know, or don't _want_ to answer – everything you give now is just a fucking riddle or redirection!"

"Then ask the right questions!"

In frustration, Law pushed him away. There was one question he wanted to ask – it was at the tip of his tongue. After hearing all that Spandem had said, it was the loudest. But he couldn't quite bring himself to ask it. Even after everything that had happened so far and with everything he learned – he found himself afraid of the answer. It was an unusual conundrum for him.

After minutes passed with intense silence between them, Sanji rubbed his neck with a sullen look in his direction then grabbed the tray. "At this point, you're only driving yourself mad."

"Undress."

"Not here. Ain't appropriate. Plus, I ain't in no mood."

"I don't give a fuck about who walks in, or if you're in any mood to do it."

Sanji dropped the tray on the table, the sound noisy within the room. He could hear noises going on outside, and while he had no idea what Law had in mind for him at that moment, he felt that obeying would be better for both of them. After a few moments, he unbuttoned his shirt, turning to face him as he did so. The moment he bared his front to him, Law's hands went to him. Sliding off the material from his shoulders, eyes coursing over him intently. Seeing that he was searching for something, Sanji stood patiently but his jaw tensed. At least Law's hands were warm as they skimmed over his skin, causing an uncomfortable ripple of goosebumps to rise. The older man was familiar with his body, unconsciously resting over the spots that had caused him interest. Sanji tried not to think about the night spent at Drum Peak, focusing away from his intense gaze to settle on the shelves of books and empty slots where a book had been removed.

The cold air caused his skin to tighten up as he exhaled steadily, resisting the urge to cross his arms to preserve some warmth. Law forced him to turn around, examining his shoulders and back with the same sort of attention. Even his hair was parted in sections so his scalp could be scrutinized; despite their earlier exchanges, it seemed to Sanji that Law's touch was gentle if not thorough. He wasn't sure what he was looking for but he patiently stood there, rubbing his hands together as the chill caused his flesh to shiver.

His pants were forced down around his ankles, and every part of him was given the same treatment. Sanji did feel himself heating up with an uncomfortable blush, hoping no one would walk in on them at that moment. He watched the doorway as he covered his front with both hands, straining his hearing to catch any incoming footfalls coming their way. He felt embarrassed when his body reacted to the feel of Law's fingers moving through his pubic hairs, finding the birthmark that he'd examined back in Drum Peak.

"Are you done? It's cold," he complained grumpily. "What you lookin' for, anyway?"

Law didn't answer, fingers moving down his legs. Even Sanji's feet was given a thorough examination, his toes separated and sensitive spots pushed and touched. It felt odd to have another reaction to that, considering that his feet hadn't been given such attention.

His hands were then grasped and examined with the same sort of thorough inspection, his palms smoothed over, all his fingers and everything in between pushed and massaged. Sanji finally understood what Law was doing – looking for anything on him for a 'marker'. A ridiculous thought for him, but once the man's mind was made up it was hard changing it. He watched the other man's face with a stubborn frown, lowering a finished hand to cover himself. Once Law's eyes rose to meet his, Sanji quickly lowered his so he wouldn't be seen as a threat. He felt Law's fingers on his jaw, fingers spreading over his face as that was examined as well. He was startled when he realized that the crusted flakes of blood around his nose was gently wiped away. Startled enough to look at him, unsure of the change in mood.

Sanji was surprised when Law kissed him hard, fingers moving into his hair to hold his face close to his. It seemed like a desperate move, causing him irritation that Law's moods would switch so fast. He understood that Law was looking for an answer but he wasn't sure of the question – there were too many. Tentatively he returned the gesture, intending on giving reluctant comfort after such a tense stand-off. He wasn't prepared for the bite to his lip, sharp pain causing him to cry out with anger as he made to push him away.

He could taste his own blood welling up against his teeth, a little horrified that Law himself would slurp it up before pulling him tight up against him. Sanji balanced himself as he put his hands up to push him away, Law's fingers tightly grasping his waist.

" _Crazy loon_!" he snarled, feeling his blood drip down his chin as his lip ached hotly. Law's hands moved over his naked flesh with gripping action, squeezing what flesh he could as he shifted his attention to Sanji's jaw, his temple. His hands were once again on Sanji's head to hold him in place, and Sanji tensed, expecting another bite. He was definitely going to refuse him if he tried for anything more than this – Sanji wasn't sure what to expect of him, now.

Before he could say anything at all, Law then snapped his neck cleanly and all thoughts and feelings suddenly ceased.

Law caught Sanji's deadweight as he dropped. His breath came hard and fast as he held Sanji against him, mind swirling with panic and horror over his own decided action. He could still taste Sanji's blood in his mouth, rich and metallic – it made him sick. His heart slammed hard against his ribs as the silence in the room intensified the sound of his own breath. After a few moments, Sanji's limbs twitched and jerked, reacting to the lack of oxygen caused by death. Law couldn't let him go just yet – every part of him was frozen. His eyes were hot and blurry as he second guessed himself, regretting his decision. A torrent of doubt and fear rendered his blood cold, and his legs couldn't support them any longer. He slumped to the floor, still holding Sanji tightly. His head dangled back lifelessly, and Law managed to move a hand to push it back up against his neck. He was still so warm and heavy that it seemed Sanji was merely sleeping against him. But the lack of breath against his neck, the lack of strength was a strong indication that Law's action had been true.

Law continued to pant, unable to catch his breath. The strong twitches in Sanji's body continue to convince him that the man was still alive. Everything felt so far away and faint that reality began to blur around him. His own words were coming back to him, slapping him in the lungs, squeezing his heart. Despite his own convictions, he felt like he lost this one. What if it wasn't true? If he couldn't rely on Sanji's words, then why should Law believe his own?

He knew he had to get moving before anybody could interrupt. His legs felt like they belonged to someone else – sluggish to move, to obey internal command. But he somehow made it to his feet clumsily. It was easy moving a body to remove it from a scene or get it out of the way; easy to take a living being apart – it was downright impossible clutching onto one that had been precious. His vision was so blurry that it was difficult to see straight. But he hefted the man into both arms and staggered out of the room. He'd have to hide it from Zoro, from everyone else – no questions could be answered right away.

He carried Sanji to the room where Spandem's pieces continued to stain and color the floor, figuring the scent was enough to disguise this one. He found a cabinet that looked big enough to stow a body and cleaned it out clumsily, tossing all the books and journals onto the floor. He couldn't bear to look at Sanji's face – but he shoved him into the cabinet and slammed the door shut, leaning onto it with all his weight as he struggled to pull himself together. His lungs refused to work properly – now they were tight and fisted, like someone was clutching them within both hands. Every part of him felt weak.

He didn't want to be wrong.

A glance back at the halves that still laid on the floor seemed to straighten out the hysterical flurry rendering his thoughts a mess. He grew aware of moving footfalls in the stairway – strong and determined. Law had to pull himself together. This was a theory he had to prove. His hands were shaking as he wiped his mouth – Sanji's blood smearing against his flesh made him freeze again.

Heavy breathing alerted him to Zoro's presence on the floor. He was trying to catch his breath and sniff at the same time. Law had to react correctly. He leaned down with too heavy arms, gathered up some of the books and journals laying on the floor before the cabinet. His vision straightened out. He had just stood when Zoro walked in, looking at Spandem with disgust.

The wolf's clothes were obviously Kid's shirt – long enough to cover him but unable to disguise all the injuries he'd gained from the fight with Jabra. His eyes were narrowed as they coursed all over the room, looking for a familiar face.

" _What_ ," Law questioned, but it didn't leave him as a question. He felt like he gave everything away – he was so shaky.

Zoro looked at him, nostrils flaring lightly before returning to Spandem's head with disgust. "Where's Sanji?"

"Fuck if I know. I'm busy here," Law snapped, but he heard the own shake of his voice.

Zoro looked at him, his eyes steely. His brow furrowed. "What's wrong with you?"

"I haven't had any sleep, and this shit Spandem was spewing is more grievous than I could have ever imagined," Law said, walking towards the door with books in hand. "If you see Sanji, tell him I need coffee."

"Go get it yourself."

"He knows what I want. Find him and tell him that," Law said as he inched past him, heading back to the room he'd left. He could feel Zoro's eyes on his back. Something had alerted him to the situation and Law wanted to pry for more information – how could the wolf had known something had happened when he was so busy outside fighting with another beast? The connection that Law had thought was broken back at the colony seemed present still.

"He wasn't here with you?"

"He tried to bring me something earlier, but he also upset me. So he left."

He heard Zoro following after him, still sniffing. Once he reached the room Law had walked into, the wolf's sniffing capabilities seemed to work harder.

"So he was here," Zoro said carefully. "It's strongest in here."

"I just told you, you piece of shit – he tried bringing me something, but left."

"His scent is older downstairs so he still has to be up here somewhere."

"He went looking for cigarettes."

"Why did you kill Spandem? That's gross."

"Put it outside as a warning to anyone else that seeks to disturb me," Law grumbled, setting the books down on the desk. He felt so nauseous that he wanted to vomit. The tray Sanji had used to bring food and coffee with still sat nearby. At the same time he saw that, he realized Sanji's clothes were still abandoned nearby. Zoro saw them at the same time. He turned away from the door, giving an outrageously powerful bark – it sounded damn near similar to that of his bestial side. Law wanted to examine his vocal chords just to see if they were somehow different from a human being's.

When he didn't receive an answer, Zoro released another bark, moving further away from the room. Paranoid that he'd be found out, Law grabbed his sword and trailed after him. While Zoro's back was turned, he formed a Room.

"Could you take this elsewhere?" he asked petulantly. "He left, he didn't say where."

"Something is wrong."

" _What_ is wrong?"

Zoro turned to look back at him suspiciously. "I smell him on you, but he's not answering me."

"Maybe he doesn't want to."

"What'd you do to him?"

"I told you, he upset me and left."

"What'd he do?"

"What's with the thousands of questions? I want my fucking coffee and some peace and quiet!"

Zoro frowned at him. His hands seemed to clench over the swords at his side, and Law thought for a moment he'd draw on him. His fingers clenched tightly on his sword – it was strange to feel it warm underneath his grasp when he felt so cold. Zoro suddenly looked away, head tilted slightly. He started to grow visibly agitated, pacing before hurrying into the nearest room. Law understood that he was searching for him, his own heart pounding with guilty fear. Zoro started to move from room to room, switching from calling Sanji's name and barking. With some relief, Law saw that the room Sanji was in was given a hasty search without any lingering.

"Should I be alarmed?" he croaked, clearing his voice.

Zoro ignored him. His expression grew frantic as he moved for the stairway, stopped, and returned back to the floor. Law waited quietly, aware that his heart was thundering noisily, sure the wolf would pick up on it. The wolf was crouching low to the ground, sniffing the floor and tables before getting up and moving back to the hall. Law realized he would have to move the body before the wolf could find it. He pictured the bed back in his room, the pillows Sanji had used hours earlier to prop himself up on when the pair of them had been talking before dinner. The shift was subtle, and Zoro was too far away from that room to hear anything as one of the pillows was switched with Sanji's body.

"Then we should search for him," Law decided as Zoro continued searching for any trace of his companion. "I'll tell the others."

After hearing nothing from the wolf, Law descended the stairs. His legs were shaking with every step.

Outside, the area was a disaster. Broken, crumbled, debris littering almost every surface. Luffy was napping atop of what looked like part of a wall – Kid had wrapped pipes around both beasts, both of whom had switched back to human men. All of them looked as if they'd crawled out of some coal mine – injuries glistening in the sun. Kid was glaring off into the distance; Law wondered where Perona and her new army was. Ussop was in the rubble where Kid had been taken, nervously examining what looked to be a standing room. Out of all the structures, just that one room continued to stand – it would make sense, for seastone prism was nearly indestructible. Law would investigate it for himself later.

Stepping over the fallen body of Kaku, Law approached Kid. "Your dog is ruffled. Something happened to Sanji. He is panicking."

"Wasn't he with you?" Kid questioned with a frown.

"I was mad at him. Minutes after he left, Zoro appeared. You should…calm him. I'm going back to the rooms to see if he is there."

Kid looked at him cautiously. His own body was covered with scrapes and bruises, his pale flesh dirty with debris. "Shouldn't you be worried?"

"I'm still mad," Law answered simply, walking away before he could be questioned any further.

Once in his room, he locked his door behind him. He didn't want to see Sanji at that moment – he didn't want to see his lifeless form, knowing he was dead at his own hand. So he didn't look to the bed – he looked around for another available space to hide him, and went to the window instead. His head was thundering with noise – thoughts, sound, whatever it was, he couldn't sort through it to understand it.

He felt numb. He gripped his sword tightly in one hand, looking through the glass at the outside. This entire ward was untouched – avoided in battle. But the grounds looked horrendous. It felt like a representation of his life right now – everything on the outside was in shambles while he was still standing in the mess of it. Strangely, he could still taste Sanji in his mouth; feel his warm, firm flesh on his palms. Even the material of the sword couldn't seem to chase away the ghostly feeling of Sanji's warmth from his skin.

 _What if he were wrong?_

The regret he felt crawled through him like some ice creature, snaking into his veins and breath like a living thing.


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N** : Last chapter for the week

 **Naghi-Tan** : There's always one person wrecking Valentine's Day because of their exasperation with the holiday – it was me this time. DX Ah, but please refer back to an earlier post I'd made about this fic – if that helps! :D (Even though it's still bad)

 **Nosh Ram:** I'm sorry D:

 **CC** : Yeah, I'd always imagined a different sort of LawSan for this fic. I couldn't see it any easier for them when I started writing. (e_e)

 **: : Thirty Two**

An hour later, Law returned outside to see all of them gathered together. Perona yawned noisily, holding an umbrella overhead as Luffy ate noisily at what looked like sandwich meats and apples. Ussop wore a worried expression that turned contemplative as his eyes alit on Law while Zoro turned and regarded him with suspicion. Kid looked entirely lost.

"How did this guy suddenly get lost?" he asked as Law joined them, cradling his sword against him. "He was with you the entire time!"

"Every one of Spandem's guys are here, so we can't blame them," Perona said. "I was downstairs the entire time, and I didn't run into him once."

"He wasn't in the kitchen," Luffy said with a sigh. "I was hoping he was cooking but that place has nothing in it. Perona took off with all the workers!"

"I know he stayed back to speak with you because he knew you were upset," Ussop said cautiously. "He wouldn't leave that suddenly."

Only Zoro remained silent, staring at him with seeming accusation in his eyes. Law had given it plenty of thought while in that room, making plans and considering his options and had come to one conclusion.

"He's not lost," he said slowly. "He's in our room."

" _Ew_ ," Perona said with distaste. "I don't know, I just feel like saying that is appropriate."

"No he's not," Zoro said, his voice rigid enough for Kid to look at him sharply.

"He is." It took a few moments to actually bring up the strength to say it aloud. "I know because it was I who took him there. I killed him. I snapped his neck to test a theory."

Luffy stopped chewing while Kid looked at Law with confusion. Perona blinked repeatedly while Zoro stared at him in silence. Ussop wasn't sure what face he was making, sure he'd heard wrong.

"Whatever," Perona muttered. "I'm sure you mean something that's only gross."

"You can't kill Sanji," Luffy laughed. "He'd stop you!"

Kid just looked at Law with a bewildered expression, unsure of what to say.

"I guess it doesn't matter to you how I did it," Law said slowly. "But I had my suspicions after that conversation with Spandem – "

"You think he's a fucking clone," Kid realized aloud, his voice dripping with horror.

"I disguised the smell with the leftovers with Spandem," Law told Zoro. "He is in our room."

Zoro said nothing but he did end up striding away, Kid looking after him with horror before refocusing on Law. Perona froze again as she realized how shocked Kid was reacting. Luffy stopped chewing once again, looking closely at their faces to determine his own reaction. Ussop looked paralyzed, mouth dropping open before he turned and raced after Zoro.

Law took a deep breath. "A series of events had prompted my decision after hearing about the cloning, and Sanji fit a particular set of suspicions. Once Zoro returns, I'll have to confirm with him exactly on my theories."

" _You didn't_ ," Perona breathed, staring at him. "You didn't do that just because your big head thinks too much! You wouldn't kill someone that close to you - !"

"I did, and I feel I am correct."

"He wouldn't just let you kill him!"

"He wasn't aware that I had planned to."

Kid continued staring at him, his mouth slightly open. Luffy stood, looking at Law with slow incredulity as he realized how intense the subject was growing.

"It wasn't impulsive. I did think it out. My experience with Sanji allowed me to remember certain events that were important to the theory that Spandem had revealed to us last night."

"You can't kill someone that you like, Law," Luffy said weakly, his voice dripping with disbelief.

"Yet _you_ killed kittens just to see what they tasted like, so I can kill something that I think fondly of in order to test a theory – "

"Don't say that," Kid interrupted, his voice thick. "Don't say shit like that. You fucking sociopath."

"Why does my action bother you?" Law then snapped as he took in their unsettled expressions. "Any of you? _None_ of us has empathy! _None_ of it was required in that bunker! We have compassion for our enemies, for civilian casualties that are only incidental, and we fail our tasks. Any compassion that we might've had was beaten out of us. This world isn't any different from that one. I'm assuming you said nothing to these idiots about what Spandem had said?"

At the question directed to him, Kid shook his head slightly. "Wasn't any time to."

"You can't kill Sanji through, Law," Luffy repeated. "Sanji's the one that takes care of us. Like Corazon – "

"Newsflash – Corazon is alive. Sengokou is alive. They're out there, possibly behind the removal of Germa, a confirmed island capable of cloning activities," Law snapped at him.

"Sanji is a clone?" Perona asked tentatively.

"I have my theories that he is. He knew Cora – it is possible Cora is behind Sanji. With the removal of Sanji, Cora will come to us."

"You sick fuck," Kid said heavily. "I can't imagine killing someone I thought of closely just to test a fucking _theory_."

"I have no regrets with my decision – "

"And if it turns out he wasn't?" Kid shouted at him. "Then what?"

Law stubbornly held his ground.

" _Then you killed him for no fucking good reason_!"

"I feel very confident in my decision."

"Even if we weren't encouraged to feel things," Kid said slowly, feeling his face and neck well up with color, " _we do_. _All_ of us do. And we do towards certain things and certain people, and for you to kill someone that _stupidly_ decided to tolerate you, someone you relied on for yourself - ! That makes you a fucking psychopath!"

"Progress is made in such ways – "

"That's the _Marines'_ way of thinking! That's their way of thinking! How could you incorporate something you hate into thinking that it's acceptable for your own goddamn choices? You don't have any feelings! It was fucked up when you used us for your stupid schemes, but you went too far with this one! What if he doesn't come back? What if he had no contact with Corazon at all? Are you going to even feel bad about that?"

Law shrugged a shoulder. He would not reveal his deepest thoughts to these people.

Perona stared at him, her eyes suddenly welling up with tears. Luffy was still wearing a shocked expression, his eyes wide. He'd dropped his food onto the ground.

"In order to succeed, sacrifices will have to be made," Law said. "I'm sure this will straighten out in order to prove my theory right."

Kid felt his fists clench at his sides. He could not believe that this individual standing before them could feel absolutely nothing for his actions; he could not imagine ever putting Zoro into a situation like this one. He could not imagine hurting the wolf, could not bear the thought of him being hurt in any way. To think that Sanji, who willingly stood at Law's side and who catered to him despite the treatment would not be there because Law wanted to test his own 'theory' felt unforgiveable. It was one thing to use him in a scheme to earn survival satisfaction – it was another to willingly take one's life away just to see if some crazed suspicion was correct. It was unbelievable to Kid that Law could look someone close to him in the eye to kill them without any feeling at all. Law wore no expression of regret or even looked remorseful. He carried himself confidently as he usually did, and spoke in such a light manner about it as if he were describing a common chore.

Kid had thought Law felt someway about Sanji – all his possessive actions meant something. So it truly damaged him that Law would do this without any hesitation. It occurred to Kid that Law was the only one out of all of them that lacked any sort of humanity inside of him.

"You're a _sick_ fuck," he managed to utter. Movement caught his eye, and he glanced beyond Law's casual expression to see Zoro marching over – murder plain in his features, his swords drawn. Ussop was nowhere to be seen. So it sent that much of a shock through him to see that Law wasn't messing with them – he truly did kill the fox. "You don't deserve any sympathy from anyone."

"I don't exist for anyone's sympathy," Law told him firmly, forming a Room once he realized Zoro was coming back. He could _feel_ the wolf's fury against his back – like being hit with a moving wall. "I just want a form of justice for the position all of us were forced into."

"You don't deserve that sort of justice," Kid said, reaching down to pull on Perona's arm. "People like you don't deserve to exist when you turn into exactly what was done to you."

"When I am proved right, you'll understand my position, Eustess," Law assured him, turning and using his telekinesis to grab and hold Zoro in place. The wolf looked blind with rage, and Luffy finally moved. He abandoned his food and started to breathe heavily. Perona's legs gave out, and Kid ended up dropping her. He felt so stunned by the revelation that his mind was giving up on a coherent thought form – he just wanted to walk away without ever having to involve himself with such a heartless person again.

It meant something if someone like Perona could be affected by the cruel death; a woman that regularly turned innocent people into mindless zombies, and who willingly infected an entire colony of people for their treatment. If Luffy could willingly abandon his food and stand frozen, his usually animated face heavy with worry; for once not asking for something for himself, but concerned about another person. If Kid himself could not think of a man that regularly irritated him with his manipulations as one of them – it was obvious they all felt _something_ despite what they endured themselves. They weren't emotionless shells of human beings.

Frozen in mid-position, Zoro could only growl behind the sword he clasped in his mouth. All his muscles strained to escape – his skin seemed to shiver with color as his bestial form threatened to overtake him. Law only looked at him with nonchalance as he held his position.

Kid couldn't bring himself to think that this scheme was the right one – if Corazon was out there, then it only made sense to go look for him. Or he'd pop up eventually. He could not stand behind this one action; he would not care if Law fell to Zoro's wrath.

But it filled him with regret that he could not assist Zoro against Law. Then it hit him that he could.

"I can't use my powers against him, and he can't use his against me," he told the growling wolf. Luffy seemed to remember this, looking horrified. "But we'll hold him for you."

Law heard this and looked to Kid sharply. Something snapped in Perona, and she sluggishly lifted to her feet. Seeing the way they spread out around him, expressions shifting to determination, he realized that they weren't going to forgive him this time. It caused a mental stumble – knowing that he was now an enemy made him feel curiously letdown. He wasn't sure why that emotion chose that moment to hit – he didn't know why it suddenly mattered now.

But he also needed answers, and only Zoro could provide those. "You knew he was a clone, didn't you?"

Zoro didn't answer him.

"Who did you take the bodies to when one died?"

Despite Law's hold on him, one foot fell forward. Law was startled to see that; it rocked him because no one had escaped his telekinetic hold before. He glanced off to the side, seeing the others set themselves up to rush in. They didn't have their abilities, but three against one was enough to stop him. At the same time, he felt danger off in the distance – it took him a moment to realize Ussop was sighting him from one of the building windows. He didn't know which one, he couldn't focus to pinpoint him but he could _feel_ the man's intentions. As he registered this, Zoro took another step closer to him.

It was startling to realize that he wasn't as strong as he thought; if a 'normal' beast could escape his telekinesis, then he wasn't strong enough. Suddenly realizing that this group intended on bringing him down before he could get any answers caused an unfamiliar emotion to make itself known underneath the already tremulous feelings he had because of what he'd done.

It had been a long time since he'd felt true fear.

He wasn't going to win this battle if he stayed. The moment he realized that, he twisted his head to avoid the bullet that skimmed his skin and hairline – it was only a split second in the lack of concentration, but it allowed Zoro to shoot forward. Kid was already diving at Law's legs, Luffy moments from slamming into him from the side, Perona at his back. Law brought his sword up to block Zoro's two swords with a wide gesture, using his other hand to teleport himself back to the bedroom.

Once there, appearing where the chair had been – hours earlier he had been sitting in it, talking to Sanji - he stumbled, feeling as if his legs had been swept out from underneath him. As he fell he swung his arm around to catch himself from hitting the floor but he hit it anyway, smacking his face on the surface. Something felt wrong – there was suddenly hot, fiery pain shooting up his arm, and it caused him to shout as he reached for it.

His other hand swept over empty air as he turned onto his back. For several solid moments, he realized why his arm felt such pain – it was missing. Sometime before he could teleport, Zoro had succeeded in hitting him. He'd left his right arm outside – he imagined it was still clutching his sword. The shock in losing the limb caused him to release a pained, horrified scream. He could only clutch at what remained of it, feeling as if the limb was still there. He could still feel the weight of the sword in his grasp. The ghostly feeling utterly confused him.

Blood warmed his fingers, pooled underneath him. He couldn't catch his breath as the pain shot through him, confusing his mind as to whether or not that limb was still there. But his palm felt the clean slice of raw meat and bone – no edges – and he had no balance to push himself up. Raw emotion took over where his mind could not – he was in danger, he had to escape.

The moment he realized that, the door swept open and he reacted by pushing it back into place with his telekinesis. He didn't know who he shut it on but everyone was now an enemy. At the pounding on the wood – confused with the pounding his head – Law somehow crawled back to his feet. He looked at the still form on the bed as he clumsily stained the blankets with his own blood.

He wouldn't get his answers now. Maybe later when he escaped, but definitely without the support of the others. He struggled to catch his breath as he clutched at his stub of an arm. Doubt and uncertainty over his thoughts and suspicions filled him now. Had he just been mad coming to the conclusions he'd been earlier convinced of? Maybe Sanji had been right about his mind overthinking every detail. Glass crashed and movement prompted him from looking away from the window – Zoro was in beast form now, and he performed a sharp turn once he caught Law's scent. Without the use of his other arm, Law was convinced he wouldn't have a chance against him. He had to focus on escaping – he had to save his own life.

He didn't have a chance to look at the dead man before he teleported back to the lab, into the room he'd killed him in. He was feeling weak and shaky, and he needed to wrap a tourniquet over the wound before he fell to blood loss. Just as he registered that thought, Luffy sent a chair crashing over his head. Law lost his balance and hit the ground hard, seeing stars for a moment. Once he realized that they were all ready for his next moves, panic alit his bones. The teen leapt at him with a snarl, and Law kicked out with both feet to knock him out of his intended path. It gave him enough room to move, jerking upward to escape the room. Once in the dining room, he prepared himself to encounter another one of his former teammates and just narrowly avoided Perona's shrieking attack.

She'd thrown herself at him, her hands clutching onto his clothes before the weight of her knocked him against the table; both of them hit the surface noisily, and she managed to get a hit in with a weighty object. Law was stunned but again _not_ when he realized she was using his own severed arm to hit him with.

"You! Deserve! To! _Die_!" she shrieked as she hit him over and over again. Law could somehow feel every connection made with the arm he no longer hand. Law quickly exchanged himself with one of the chairs nearby before stumbling away. She kicked the chair aside and raced after him, holding the loose arm like a baseball bat. "Get back here, you fucking asshole! You fucking _coward_!"

He had to anticipate that they were going to be posted at every place he himself had been previously. He had to choose a place within reason to escape to – and exchanged himself with some debris right outside the only building still standing out in the courtyard. The seastone weakened him immensely – it pulled his body down, made it difficult to pull up any strength inside of him to move correctly. The open doorway showed him stainless steel countertops, shelves, tables – medical supplies that only promised usage upon some invasive procedure. He was using too much blood. He wouldn't have any more energy to use if he kept teleporting himself – he stumbled into the room, nearly collapsing as the pure energy of the seastone enveloped him. But he managed to kick the heavy door shut. It would give him some time to bandage his arm, discourage the others from finding him here. They had Zoro to use, and he was on the other side of the courtyard. He would have some time to recover.

Law crawled from the floor, struggling to reach the bandages he could see lining the shelf. It took every ounce of strength and will he had to do so. His arm felt like it was still there, but his clutching hand assured him that this was a lie. Blood splattered over stainless steel counters as he fumbled with the supplies. His working hand wouldn't stop shaking.

He didn't know how much time had passed as he wrapped the stump with rubber strips. His mind was a mess right now. He wanted desperately to be proven right so everyone could see that he was correct; once they realized that Sanji was only a clone under the control of the others they sought, they'd all settle down and _leave_ him alone.

The door opened slowly, and Law looked over with dread. He wouldn't be able to teleport himself out of this room – he would be no match against Zoro. He would die without getting his answers and without seeing the looks on their faces when his theory proved right. It felt so _unfair_.

Kid had trouble standing – leaning against the wall with heavy wilting, but his expression was that of pure determination. He assessed the scene with a sneer.

"Seems fitting you'd die in nearly the same place you were born," he decided. At the sight of Law seated on the floor, pale and uncharacteristically vulnerable, Kid felt it was a suitable place for him. There was blood all over the table and floor where Law had been. He had no sympathy for the man. He needed to be stopped before his madness could continue onto using other people just to satisfy his own obsession. "Sucker."

Kid turned and left the room with some trouble. He shut the door behind him and limped away until he felt his strength return. Then he turned, straining his muscles as he pulled out every piece of scrapped metal left behind in the battle of the courtyard. He wasn't sure if it would work, but he had to give it a try. Law was weakened considerably by blood loss and the pure strength of the seastone prism of the room – he wouldn't be able to teleport himself out of there any time soon. Whatever it was, it would be his final resting place.

Kid focused on coating the outside of the room with the pieces of metal he'd found. He dredged it up from the rubble, curling a majority up against the door to keep it shut. Then locked every connecting piece together into an impossible tangle, reforming a metal shell all around it. By the time he was finished, the completed construction filled him with relief.

Perona joined him, still holding onto Law's arm. Kid wrinkled his nose. "Throw that away."

She tossed it, staring at the sight with a heavy frown. "Think it's over for him?"

"He ain't getting out of that room. It didn't look like he'd make it, anyway. He lost a lot of blood and energy getting away from us."

"Serves him right, what he did to Sanji," Perona said shakily. "I don't want to see him. I'd feel funny."

Kid wondered why Law lacked the emotions needed to feel human – as much as he claimed he was fighting for 'justice' to be treated human, he couldn't even act human. What had happened after their release to twist the man's mind and heart up into such an unfeeling mess? He was truly puzzled why Law would even think Sanji was a clone; how he didn't even think twice about killing the man he obviously _adored_ with his own hands. How could he lack so much inside of him? Kid had to wonder if Law himself had been replaced by a damn clone.

"Then don't," he said in reply to Perona's words. "We'll just wait on those guys. See if they want to bury him, or what. Then…then we go on our own way."

"And do what?"

"…I don't know. Just…live."

"The things Trafalgar was saying? About clones? What was that about?"

Kid told her as they walked back to the main building. By the time he was finished, Perona was wearing a dazed expression. They found Luffy sitting at the bottom of the lab stairway, arms hanging off his knees. He looked so heartbroken that Kid once again questioned how Law lacked rationality. Out of all of them, the one who cried the loudest about mistreatment was the most heartless.

"That shit doesn't matter," Kid mumbled. "That was his thing. In the end, if those dudes are out there – they'll find us and talk to us. But no sense wasting time obsessing about it. We got this chance to live on our own conditions – it's time to live it up."

Perona nodded in agreement, but her face was heavy. She reached out and patted the top of Luffy's head.

"This is a bad dream, isn't it?" Luffy asked. "Sanji isn't gone."

"He is."

"No, he's going to come out here and ask us what the problem is, fix us, fix _him_ , and then we're going to leave. He's going to make us a big lunch and make me cough with all his smoke. And Law's going to say, _Ha ha_ , tricked you."

"Not this time," Kid mumbled. "I'm going to see what Zoro's going to do."

"And Ussop," Perona reminded him.

He rolled his eyes and walked off. When he reached the open room, he hesitated on looking in. He thought that Law killing Sanji was gruesome enough – he didn't actually want to see the remains. He felt awkward about that. He'd seen enough gore and bodies to last him a lifetime, but to see that one put a weird weight in his stomach. Once again, he wondered how Law could be so heartless.

"Even if it were," he mumbled to himself. Ussop hurriedly poked his head out and caught sight of him with surprise. "Hey."

"Zoro isn't back, yet," Ussop said, looking at him with distress.

"I bet he found Law. But he ain't getting out from what I did, and Zoro can't get in. Let him rot in there."

"I hope he never forgets what he did," Ussop muttered bitterly, walking into the room. Kid followed after him tentatively. He was scared to see what Law had done to the body – guessing on his behavior, he assumed the man had sliced Sanji into pieces. Once he had enough courage he lifted his head. The only thing that truly stood out was the blood on the floor. The bed looked mussed, glass visible underneath the window – but once it was apparent that there was no sight of Sanji, Kid moved his head around.

"Uh…so…is he…put away?" he asked tentatively.

Ussop looked at him. "Who?"

"Er…Sanji."

"He wasn't in here."

Kid gave him a puzzled look. "…What?"

"Zoro smelled him earlier," Ussop said tentatively. "We was gonna look for him here but Zoro took one smell an' left. He was…very upset. And I couldn't look at him, I…he was my friend. When I got the courage to do so, he ain't even here. I just…seein' that happen to Zoro, he must be very upset."

Kid absorbed this information. He had a sense of disbelief building in him. He scanned the room for any telltale sign of another person's blood. The bed was in disarray, and a huge stain of blood at the edge told him Law had come here right after that scene outside. The floor was sticky with it. He looked into the closet and into the bathroom – he felt bewildered.

Had Law tricked them again? But Kid couldn't see _why_ he would cause such a scene – and Zoro had fallen into a blind rage, so Kid assumed that Law hadn't lied. But what was the gain he'd receive from this?

"Is there…somethin' I missed?" Ussop asked tentatively, looking up at him.

"So…you didn't see the body?"

"No," Ussop replied with trouble. His expression turned upset. "I should've stayed behind. I should've stayed with him when I saw how angry Law was after talking to Spandem! I should've - !"

"But you didn't cuz I bet he told you he'd be fine. Let's go find Zoro. Maybe he wanted some privacy to…bury his friend." Kid wore a puzzled expression as he left the room. He recalled Law wanting to talk to Zoro, even asking him ' _Who do you take the bodies to when one died_?'

Even if it looked as if Law was off his rocker with this stunt, there had always been weight to his actions. Kid didn't want to forgive him for this one – if he hadn't found what he had with Zoro, then he'd understand Law's reasoning. But he couldn't this time because he just couldn't imagine killing something he found valuable. He couldn't imagine killing Zoro just to prove some theory – so Law's reasoning escaped him, and this made him out to be a heartless monster. He'd crossed a line. If he wouldn't hesitate to kill someone everyone knew as precious to him, then Law lacked his own humanity.

He was everything the Marines were and then some.

Kid couldn't bear to be around to see what other lines Law would cross just to get his answers. It could mean one of their lives.

They searched the grounds for Zoro – the reconstruction he'd done with the seastone prism room was as Kid had left it. Neither Perona or Luffy had seen him. By the time evening fell, and even Ussop grew bewildered, Kid was starting to wonder if Law had been right.

"No matter what," Perona muttered bitterly, "he did a wrong thing. We're monsters in everyone's eyes, but we don't want to wind up as another person's toys."

"Maybe he went to grieve," Luffy murmured sadly. "Sanji was his buddy. Without him here, maybe he doesn't know what to do. He doesn't know how to be with a pack, anymore."

"They were very close," Ussop agreed. "Each of them could tell if the other was in trouble."

"How?" Kid asked.

"I don't know. And they wouldn't go far – if they were too far away to hear each other's cries, then they moved in closer. As long as they could hear the other, they were fine."

"Zoro knew something happened," Luffy said quietly. "Because he stopped fighting right away."

Kid remembered finding it odd that Zoro abruptly abandoned his battle with Jabra. How he had to swoop in and cover his back as Jabra intended on attacking him from behind.

"It just doesn't make sense for Trafalgar to do that," Kid murmured. "I knew he has screwy thoughts in his head, but to actually go that far…it won't stop him from making similar decisions with other people in the future. And I don't think any of us wants to be his next test."

All of them agreed with nods and frowns. Kid crossed his arms on the table, supporting his chin on the back of one hand. He'd already told them what had happened in the tower. Perona and Luffy were surprised to hear about Sengokou and Corazon, but just as ill at the thought of being puppeteered from the shadows after enthralling in their freedom for so short of a time.

Perona picked at the table for a few moments, then uttered, "Ussop, Sanji never said anything about being from Germa?"

"No," Ussop answered with a fitful expression. "Neither of those said a thing about their past."

"He must've known that if he did, people would be interested, especially if Germa is that important."

"Maybe Law did it because of how possessive he was," Luffy mumbled. "People knew that he was and might want him. He hates sharing the things he likes."

"There's nothing redeeming about his actions, Luffy," Kid snapped.

"I didn't say it was a good thing, I was just saying that Law is selfish like that," Luffy snapped back. "If those guys will be after us, then they'll be after him, too."

" _Still doesn't make it right_. If there were clones of that guy, _who's_ still making them?" Kid said expressively. "And he deliberately withheld information from us – we don't know if he was actually working for someone else."

" _Still_ doesn't make Law's actions right," Perona snapped at him.

"It doesn't!"

"Let's try and think like him," Perona then suggested, leaning over the table. "Say Sanji _was_ a clone – Corazon was involved in making him. If Trafalgar thought that Cora was responsible for blowing up Germa because of what they were doing, then he might think that Sanji knew more of Corazon than he was saying. He probably thought Sanji was working for Cora and Sengokou on keeping track of us. Robin, too! What if she was working for them!"

"Impossible," Ussop said with much skepticism. "Robin only motherly with us. She liked us, and she enjoyed what we found to bring back."

"Then what about those other two? Those other two women?" Kid asked.

"Violet and Rebecca? They came and went as they pleased, but they were very protective of those two – "

"Where'd they come from?"

Ussop shrugged. "No one knows. Everyone wound up in that colony because it was a safe place. They didn't talk about home, either. We don't know why they took off this time. They watched over Sanji during his heats – "

"Why? Were they doctors?"

"Er…no? They just wanted to make sure he was okay. Zoro, too."

Kid steepled his hands in front of him, fingers pressed against his chin. "Did they and Robin seem chummy?"

"They got along. But to be honest, I don't remember seeing them together all that often. Maybe once or twice."

"Did you ever see Sanji get _really_ hurt, Ussop?" Perona then asked curiously.

"No. He and Zoro were practically indestructible!" Ussop then looked down at the table. " _Almost_ …indestructible."

"Even if he were a hick," Kid said slowly, lowering his hands to the table, "Sanji was smart enough to keep Trafalgar stumbling."

"Because you know why!" Perona hissed at him. "He suddenly realized what a penis was used for!"

"Ugh, not _that_! How many times would we hear him shut Trafalgar up with some facts?"

"Sanji was always a smart guy," Ussop spoke up. "Maybe not book smart like Law, but he always had a plan. An' Zoro always trusted him with his plans – they'd fight because Sanji was more about people than things, but in the end Zoro trusted him."

"Alpha and omega!" Luffy breathed.

Kid frowned at the table. "The way he kept his cool while that was all goin' down with Spandem…like he acted shocked. But I seen too many times where he got that psycho trippin' to have me wondering, now, if it were even all Trafalgar's fault."

Perona looked at him with uncertainty. "You're not thinking that Sanji… _goaded_ him into killing him?"

"Sanji did everything he could to live, Perona!" Ussop said firmly. "He'd _never_ push for his death. He wanted to live! He saw many good things in life - !"

"Then where are they now? Where's the body?" Perona looked at Kid. "I don't pay that much attention to everyone, but I agree with you. Sanji was pretty good getting Trafalgar around his finger."

Kid didn't know what to think. But he managed to say, "What would be the point of it? That's what I can't see. And sometimes, not every plan goes the way you want it."

"Yeah, cuz if this is what Sanji wanted, Law's missing an arm and probably dead," Luffy chimed in with concern.

Perona drummed her fingertips atop of the table as Ussop looked at the center of it with a thoughtful frown. "I don't want to say it…"

"Say what?" Luffy asked.

"I don't want to say _what if_ Sanji tricked Law because he was getting too close?"

"Too close to _what_?" Kid snapped. "We know those guys are out there! There ain't no real conspiracy theory to anything other than we were screwed over again by the guys that made us!"

Perona's lips tightened thoughtfully.

"And Sanji's part of it? No one knows that for sure," he added with disgust. "Maybe he was sent off to die – "

"In a place where nobody goes – say it was quite a distance. Say he wasn't given supplies. So how did a _simple kid_ survive on a place no one wants to explore now?"

"Fishing," Luffy said with a shrug. "And there's plenty of water to drink!"

"You can't drink seawater! You'll die!"

" _Pee_. The kidneys would pee out pure water that you can drink again."

"Ughhhhhh! Why are you all so obsessed with drinking your own _piss_ to survive?"

Kid wiped his face, then brushed his hands through his hair. After some moments of reflection, he realized that these unanswered things weren't enough to redeem their missing companion. Law had still taken a cold-blooded risk. They weren't even certain if Spandem could even be trusted. Seeing evidence that Corazon and Sengokou were still alive – that was enough to make him want to flee rather than investigate. All those years under the Marines' hands was enough for him to want to escape. Whatever it was Law was looking for, for whatever reason – it wasn't enough for him to want to pursue. What was in the past should stay there.

He rose from the table, the others looking at him curiously. "Whatever. We should get ready to go."

"We'll still leave him behind?" Luffy asked, rising as well.

"When Zoro comes back, we'll see what he says. But I don't think taking _that_ guy with us will help us anymore. He's already proven what he's capable of."

Kid walked off, the others watching him go.

Perona shrugged. "He's right. I don't want to dwell on the past. If they want to come get us, they know how to find us."

"Would we be safe out there?" Luffy asked cautiously, rising from his chair. "Sanji won't be there for us."

"We have to move on. We still have Ussop," she said cheerily, slinging an arm around Ussop's shoulders. He looked pained at the task.

"I'm still going to be sad about this," Luffy mumbled. "I don't care if we leave Law behind, now. He didn't have to do that. He should've just asked. Sanji would have told him. Sanji can't lie to him because he chose Law to be his mate."

"Let's not talk about it anymore, Luffy. All in all, Law was a horrible person. He made it easy to kill something even he loved just to fuel his weirdo paranoia. If it's that easy for him to kill, then it'll be easier for him to someone like us."

"Did you see when Zoro completely blew past his powers? _Man_! And Zoro don't have powers like us! He's fucking strong on his own!"

"I bet Zoro will be sad for awhile so we need to make this easy for him," Perona said with a nod. "Sanji was his best friend. He didn't like what Sanji was doing but…I bet he's going to feel super guilty for just letting him do it. So we have to be _super_ nice to him."

"I've never been to a funeral before, but we should make Sanji's nice," Luffy then added. "I'm sure he'd appreciate it. Should I help you bury it, Ussop?"

"I'm sure Zoro is doing it himself," Ussop mumbled.

By the time the wolf returned, the group had packed necessary items into the vehicle that had somehow escaped the grand battle. Zoro looked dazed as he approached them.

"We're leaving?" he asked sullenly as Ussop reached out to pat his shoulder with friendly comfort. "We're not going to find that guy?"

"He's been found, and he's already rotting," Kid assured him, unsure if he should follow Ussop's lead or hug him. It felt awkward to do that much. "We're moving on."

"Did you give him a good burial?" Luffy asked Zoro cautiously. "Prayers and everything?"

Zoro looked at them with a puzzled expression. Kid wondered if the wolf had gotten lost looking for Law in the aftermath. It would be both appalling and sad to know that it was true – Zoro was so horrible with directions. Kid would never ask out of respect.

"Yeah," he finally said, looking down at his hands. They were shaking, so he stuffed them into the pockets of Kid's shirt. He was still walking around only in that, and it seemed fairly indecent, considering he had no other garment on. He shivered. "Where's my clothes?"

"We're leaving this place. Fuck what happens to it," Kid said. "That guy will die slowly with what he did. Ain't no way he's gonna get out."

Zoro considered his words with a heavy frown. Kid supposed he wished he'd been behind the sentence. Then he shrugged, Perona holding out a set of clothes she'd found in one of the trunks. When she made to watch him get dressed, a hungry look in her eyes, Kid slapped a hand over her face and knocked her backwards in an effort to cover them.

"You guys decided to move on without knowin' any more?" Zoro then asked, buttoning his pants. "Wasn't that point of these things?"

"It wasn't our decision to know those things," Perona reminded him as she rubbed her face. "It was _his_. He Who Will Not Be Named From Now On."

A muscle twitched in Zoro's jaw. "But I thought it was important for all of you to know."

"It is and it isn't," Kid said as they started climbing into the vehicle. Zoro hesitated to follow. " _Yeah_ , I mean, all of us want to know if it's true, but…not with the same kinda drive _he_ had. We want to live – living day to day thinkin' about it isn't a way to live at all."

"Wouldn't you want to move on, Zoro?" Perona then asked curiously, hanging out from one of the back windows. "Sanji would've wanted us to live."

After a few moments of consideration, Zoro said quietly, "I should be glad that I took at least one of his limbs, then."

"Zoro, you were _bad ass_ ," Luffy said, hanging from the driver's side window. "No one's ever done that when Law had them. You're a strong guy!"

"His crime was unforgivable. I saw what he was capable of doin', just…never thought he could do that."

Kid studied his expression for a few moments. Zoro still seemed so angry – but something seemed off in his eyes. He felt uncomfortable second-guessing himself. Zoro then looked at him with clear suspicion – Kid was able to interpret that quickly.

"I couldn't do that," he said hastily. "None of us could! After all this time, you get that we're aren't that calculating, right?"

With another twitch of his jaw, Zoro reluctantly had to agree with a heavy nod of his head. He looked back at what was left of the building that stood, then beyond the walls. "When I was out there, the streets were empty," he said thoughtfully. "Like no one was around. Thought it was odd nobody reacted to what was happening in here."

"Maybe they had a plan to evacuate if something like this happened," Kid assumed with a curious glance in that direction. "Spandem seemed ready for anything."

"Spandem was still hiding somethin'," Ussop said uncomfortably. "He gave out information way too easily."

"Even if he was…it don't matter now. Let them find us. One down, three more to go. Get out of there, idiot, you're not driving!"

"You're not the boss of me, Kid!"

"Oh my god, when can _I_ drive? I like sitting back like Miss Daisy, but I wanna try, too!" Perona complained.

Zoro found it unsettling how things were allowed to drop. There was still so much to say, so much to sort through. He felt upset, but saying anything was pointless right now. Everyone was much too cheered moving on – he looked back at the building one more time. He got the point of moving on and living, but to just walk away from something so unsettling? It seemed like there should be more done.

But he climbed into the vehicle anyway, sitting passenger side. He kept looking back at the building in the side view mirror, feeling rotten as he did so.

: :

Law was more aware of the smell of tobacco than he was of the continuous throbbing pain in his severed arm. The scent invaded his senses – thick and strong. He heard his stomach growl in anticipation, because he associated that scent with Sanji, and Sanji was always bringing him food. A thrill raced through him, chasing away the chill that had seemed to make permanent residence in his very bones.

 _He was right_!

He wanted to rub it in the others' faces. He struggled to lift his eyelids, to look pleased but nothing wanted to obey him. So much time had passed that it was impossible to determine what time it was. All he knew of it was that the grave injury, combined with the room's effects had sucked out so much of his energy that he thought he wouldn't wake up if he slept. But he was aware that he'd been fading in and out with only the intense, thick silence of his surroundings around him. The immense darkness had been unforgiving, but less so than the silence. It felt like only he had been catapulted to a place where time had simply ceased. He thought he was a ghost at this point.

He felt warm fingers touch his neck, feeling for his carotid artery. Then his jaw was grasped firmly, forcing his head up. Law struggled to open his eyes – he felt so weak. But he wanted to see Sanji so desperately that it took his breath away with the effort. His head was dropped suddenly, and the warmth and smell grew stronger and more intense. _Too_ strong, _too_ intense – his stomach roiled in protest, and he thought he'd vomit. The stump he'd had been leaning on against the cabinet was given an examination by a forceful hand. It urged a noise of protest from somewhere deep in his throat.

He was grabbed suddenly by the front of his tunic and slammed hard against the cabinet so the sight could be seen more clearly. The force was enough for his eyes to snap open, to take in a needed breath of air. It felt like he hadn't breathed in awhile, so he choked on it. Before he could get air, the silence was interrupted again by pain and sound as his face was slapped soundly. The dryness of his mouth made the cutting of the inside of his cheek against his teeth that much more painful.

"Fucking idiot! You just can't keep your damn impulses to yourself, can you?"

This gruff admonishment was released around a cigarette, smoke filling Law's lungs as he breathed it in. He coughed again, head ringing. In the haze of his close brush with death, strong disappointment overtook the previous relief he felt. His eyes felt dry and sandy as he blinked slowly, looking at the man with revulsion.

Corazon straightened up from him, looking down at him with a similar expression. He pulled his cigarette from his mouth, waving at someone outside the door. Heavy machinery made Law aware of their presence – the intense activity outside told him that this place was being mopped up. Much like the uniform he wore back then, Corazon was wearing a full white-outfit similar to Spandem's; complete with a heavy navy coat hemmed with feathers. His sunglasses hung from his ears, trapped by his jaw. While he had similar features to the man Law had known, there was something different about his eye shape, nose length that made him different. He might have been a working clone formulated from the original, but he was different.

Which made Law think back to Sanji again.

The man was freakishly tall – too tall. Corazon had been a tall man but a few heads must have been added to him in the cloning process. He bent and grasped Law by his other arm and dragged him out from the room like one would with a toy. He then dropped him in the dirt while Law coughed and sputtered, free of the room's effects. It didn't matter, because his body felt like it had shut down long ago. Every limb felt like pins and needles strumming through his veins, causing pain so intense that he thought he'd pass out.

"Found the rest of him," Corazon said with a draw of his cigarette. Law could hear people approaching – it was frustrating that he couldn't move to see.

"Ah. Still alive. How unkind of the person to make this poor soul suffer," Sengoukou said with vague disappointment. "Should've made sure to end the misery."

"Right? Well, it was probably fitting for the moment. Should I finish it? Or you want him repaired?"

Sengokou sighed noisily. With how bright the sun was on Law's eyes, he couldn't quite make out any shapes. But he heard the rustle of plastic and some crunching noises.

"On one hand, he burned down the library because I denied him a request. On the other, he survived long enough to make it this far. So I'm on the line. Should I be forgiving or impressed?"

"Consider the events leading up to his demise," Corazon advised.

Sengokou crunched noisily on his snack. The sun was momentarily blocked out by an oddly shaped face, ugly breath on Law's face causing him to look away. He made to use an arm to push the weight away, but it was his missing arm. The movement of what was left made him groan with pain. The goat nibbled on his hair before coughing, leaving him with a noisy jangle of his collar bell.

Sengokou looked down at Law again, and he opened his eyes just to glare at him. There were faint changes around that man as well – slight readjustments of his eyes and nose, a heavier jaw. Fairly bigger than what he remembered.

"You got fat," he managed to say scornfully.

Sengokou stepped on his stump, making him eke out a cry of pain as the heavier man ground his boot heel down. Once he was satisfied with Law's reaction, he steadied himself.

"The discord caused within the group because of him can work to our advantage," Sengokou decided. "They already see him as an enemy. He's fairly broken right now. We can retrain him."

Corazon crossed his arms stiffly.

"Our interrogation room repairs completed?" Sengokou then asked a passing worker. At the answer, he nodded. He looked to Corazon. "I'll leave it to you. Find out everything he knows, and reprogram him. Nobody will be looking for him. He was left for dead."

"You're going to regret this decision."

Sengokou licked the flavor off his fingers. "Nah. Just keep the matches away from him, this time. No smoking."

Corazon gave him a petulant frown as Sengokou walked off, cheerily calling out to someone. He repeated himself over his shoulder, " _NO_ SMOKING!"

Law looked up at Corazon with an obstinate expression as Corazon frowned after Sengokou. When he looked down at Law, he readjusted his glasses back into place, taking one long puff of his cigarette. Once he had enough smoke, he spit the cigarette down on him. Law made to evade the embers when Corazon reached down and grabbed him by what was left of his arm. The pain fizzed throughout his entire body as the man dragged him off behind him to enter the newly restructured building.


	33. Chapter 33

**Naghi-Tan: He did…but he didn't have to go through it like that. Now he has to think about what he's done. D:**

 **Penumbra: I hope some of your questions gets answered eventually lol! I really dug myself deep into this hole of a plot but I'm so invested into this story! It's good to feel those things – means I'm writing right XD**

 **HS: Of course he will ; D This won't end the way I wanted it to end.**

 **Wawawa: (wow, sounds like my usual day-to-day noises as I do everything as dramatically as possible and then being surprised by my own actions XD!) Yikes. D: I assure you, things will get somewhat better.**

 **: : Thirty Three**

They wanted to 'break him' before starting the reprogramming. Law had to admit that they were doing a damn good job of it. He wanted to ask where they came up with their newer ideas and the technology behind it, but he'd deliberately bitten his tongue to prevent from speaking out names and thoughts during a hallucinogenic episode. Sengokou wanted him to talk but Law wasn't sure what they wanted to ask if they hadn't asked, yet. It was typical of the older man to do these things. Hunched in the far corner of the room, Law shivered violently as the AC level rose. His body temperature would drop and the AC would switch off for some minutes of relief. Once the monitor read that it would come back on again – if he fell asleep, a strong alarm would sound off overhead with such deafening quality that his own mind would ring. He didn't remember the last time he truly slept. The damned thing was strapped around his elbow where he could not reach it to remove it.

Corazon kept promising that they had the ability to fix his arm – replace it, grow it, whatever it was they did to replace missing limbs; only done so when he'd fall back into their control. He hugged himself with his one arm and focused on his trembling knees. He was still thinking of how to plan his way out of this one. Despite being surrounded by the other three while living in the bunker hadn't given him any feeling that he needed them – every one of them had survived individually without any concern for the other.

He told himself he didn't need anybody – but goddamn if the thought of Sanji didn't make this any easier. It was troublesome to realize how much he'd come to rely on him. Every time he thought of him, his stomach seemed to growl nosier and his chest ached in such a way he hadn't identified, yet.

Law found it impossible to think positively about the situation – he'd only known the downsides. So he found it wondrous that Sanji would want to do everything opposite done to him just to live. It didn't make any sense. It didn't make any sense to put aside all this negativity, doubt and suspicion just to let things pass by in order to function happily. It made more sense to Law that Sanji 'forgot' the bad things every time he was replaced and only abided to the happiness he found to continue living. Now, if only he could prove that in order to accept it and move on…

Some time earlier, Corazon had visited with his dinner – a meatball sandwich that dripped with all the essentials. He'd sat down and ate the entire thing in front of Law, chatting about his day in his usual airy fashion. He then allowed him to lick the plate clean. Law was pretty sure the hungry growls of his stomach could rival Luffy's. The ceiling rumbled before it started to rain again – cold, heavy drops that made him attempt to cover his face, feeling it dribble over his closely shaved scalp. They'd taken his hair – it was startling how much temperature affected him just from the loss of it.

They kept asking about Sanji.

"His father was a dick," Corazon had said licking his fingers clean. He wasn't expecting any answers from Law just yet – it wasn't surprising that Law was remaining quiet while defying their efforts. "Tell me, what was he like? From our monitoring, he seemed resourceful – it made sense that he fit in with you guys after all that he went through with his siblings. Judge put them through a series of intense training when they were kids to fulfill some sort of future he envisioned that involved expansion of his dictatorship. It'd be real useful to us if we could just talk to him. He isn't with the others."

The water ceased and he waited the AC to come back on. When it didn't happen, he wiped his face dry and leaned against the wall.

"You want your arm back?" Corazon asked from the seastone bars nearby. He was waving Law's arm about – Law decided this was yet another one of his hallucinations and refocused on the wall. He heard Corazon knock on the bars with his hand. "Knock knock! Hello? Do you have some time to spare for our lord and savior?"

He looked back at that barred doorway to confirm that the man wasn't there. Besides, his arm had been in perfect condition and he was sure it was rotted by now. He reached up with one blue tipped hand to test the stubble on his scalp. It was about three weeks growth.

The rain came down again, and he pulled his knees up as close to his face as he could. Some time passed before it finally ceased. The AC kicked on just a moment later, and it released a shudder towards the far corner of the room that indicated its own protest. Even it seemed overworked and tired. A few moments after that the lights flickered violently, a constantly moving strobe that made it difficult for him to see anything. It didn't help his hallucinations any. He hugged himself tightly, watching water drip from his soaked clothes onto the floor, where it slowly dribbled down a drain within the center of it. His stomach grumbled noisily, and he looked sluggishly towards the open toilet under the room camera. He was pretty sure it had been flushed hours ago, but he wasn't even sure how long those hours were. He had a headache so bad that his eyes felt like they were on the verge of escaping their sockets.

He wondered how the others were faring. If they were living their best lives, free from his company. _Fools_. _Idiots_. Choosing to run instead of standing to fight. It would all catch up to them eventually. It was their mistake – no, _Kid's_ mistake – leaving him alive. He was pretty sure he'd be used against them, so he hoped they thought about that aspect. Kid should be smart enough to put things together.

His body wouldn't stop shivering. But every part of him felt so damn weak – the room drained him of his abilities and strength, leaving him as shaky as a newborn deer struggling to walk. Sluggishly he pushed up to his feet. He used the wall to walk to the toilet, seeing that it was clean. Cupping at the water he slurped at it noisily, tasting salt from the ceiling. He couldn't stop drinking it, keeping his eyes shut so he couldn't have to see the unclean walls. Once his stomach rumbled with protest, he leaned against the lid.

He closed his eyes once again. He couldn't remember when the last injection was, so it felt like his mind wouldn't stop jumping around. He remembered the others' reactions to this tactic – Luffy was a drooling idiot, Perona shrieked about spiders and rats while Kid went crazy, attempting to tear apart walls to find the 'metal monkeys' – but all of them answered the questions they were asked and revealed little of their personal thoughts involuntarily due to whatever episode they were on. Only Law found it necessary to bite his tongue and render his speech too garbled for them to learn anything. So Sengokou went about it this way.

'That's too much work, man,' Kid had said at one point, unimpressed with Law's efforts. 'Nothing to hide from them, anyway.'

Because his voice seemed so clear and loud, Law opened his eyes to look for him. The guy was crouched just outside the bars, smirking at him. Wearing some type of animal fur and eye-gouging print for pants

"Besides, whatever they're asking for is something you're looking for anyway, right? Just give it up. Ain't nothing more going to happen," Kid said. "What more can they do?"

When Law made to answer, he realized he was chewing. It horrified him that he was chewing on his own tongue until the salty, iron taste hit his senses. He was chewing on something soft and squishy – it had the impression of raw chicken. Something was being forced into his mouth and he caught himself from biting down because it was a strange feeling. It took him a few moments to process what was happening, bringing his arm over his eyes in an attempt to block out the flashing lights to see the face of a fennec fox blinking at him rapidly, assessing his condition. Law was sure he was hallucinating again. The animal was soaked but had crawled up into his lap, leaning down to tear at something at his feet. Law could even feel the sharp dig of its claws in his cold flesh.

He jerked upward, sure he was only imagining things. Sure enough, Corazon was looking down at him with a disgusted frown as a medical officer flashed a light at Law's open mouth.

"He must've been chewing on his own tongue again, sir," the man reported gravely. "There's blood present all over his teeth, matter caught in his cheek."

"To go that far," Corazon murmured incredulously. "You've always been a little unhinged, Law."

Law blinked at him, uncertain of what to think. The medical officer drew away from him, gathering bandages colored with vague splotches of red with him. His hand was tightly fisted in his lap. He could feel the pressure of his nails digging into his skin. Corazon watched the man go, then looked down at him with concern.

"You ready to give this up?" he asked softly. "C'mon, why be so stubborn? What's the point in it? Those guys took your arm – what for? I don't understand why you're supporting them."

Law said nothing. His tongue felt swollen and raw, and he could taste blood in his saliva. Pieces of meat clung to his teeth, and he felt afraid to pick at them – afraid to eat whatever was left behind, certain that it was his own tongue. Corazon sighed heavily. " _I_ can't keep this up. My sleep schedule is ruined. Isn't yours?"

"Everything okay?" Sengokou asked from the doorway, his goat skittish at his feet. "How's everything looking?"

"The usual. Let's at least feed him one meal before he eats up his damn tongue."

"Then we'll regrow another one and he can chew that off," Sengokou said with a frown. "Trafalgar. There's no reason for you to resist. I don't get why you would after what they did to your arm. They _cut it off_ , man!"

"Law, the only reason why we're doing this is because you've lost sense of your original purpose," Corazon said with exasperation. "The world might've changed a bit, but the directives are still the same! Look, let's be truthful here – "

"It's true," Sengokou then said, walking in further and pausing near the drain. "The world has changed – but it's still the same as what you'd left it, Trafalgar. People want power, and those that had promised to serve and protect took advantage of it. It's not like we're enjoying this any. Watching you do this to yourself scares me. You were free for over two months and all of you acted like fools out there!"

"But it wasn't a bad thing," Corazon said hastily, crouching in front of Law. "You guys did some pretty amazing things. We were really impressed."

"Where is the last Vinsmoke, Trafalgar?" Sengokou asked stiffly. "His voice was present with Spandem talking, but he wasn't with the others when they left the place. It wasn't the full moon, either."

Law stared at him until Corazon sighed heavily. He rose stiffly, knees popping. As he made to walk away he bumped against the toilet, one knee bending and falling in while the rest of him took him to the floor. Sengokou yelled at him to stop falling on the job while Corazon yanked his leg from the toilet with a dismayed cry. No sooner than when they left, the water began to fall again.

Law sat in silence, wondering if that encounter had actually happened. He reached up to touch his tongue for himself, sure it was a mangled mess with that sharp taste lingering on his saliva. The moment he unfurled his fingers, something hit his legs. He looked down to see a matted, dark red object laying there, staining his pants leg. He picked it up and saw that it was a half chewed mouse.

"These things can be testy, but they super tasty when roasted," Sanji told him, dangling one of the animals in front of them. Luffy snatched it from his hand, stuffing it into his mouth quickly before Sanji could react. Luffy then screamed as the animal chewed on his mouth from the inside before he spat it out, the spit-soaked mammal bouncing off Perona's chest.

Law was sure he was dreaming – the fox was no longer there, but the mouse remained. He was too hungry to toss it – all those times he'd spent complaining about what food had been given to him suddenly sounded off in his head. He clumsily took another bite, eyes watering as he did so.

He closed them so he couldn't have to see what he was doing, and when he reopened them, Corazon sat across from him, looking at him with wary action.

"God, you look like shit," he said with a revolted expression. "I'm just going to get that out of the way. That's _it_ on your appearance. Let's work out a deal, okay? I'm sure you're aware by now that we were listening into the conversation you had with Spandem."

When he didn't get an answer, he lit up a cigarette. The sight of the flame caused by the match filled Law with such a strange urge that it took him a few moments to identify it. He wanted to be _warm_. He wanted to chase away this bone chilling freeze from him that lighting himself on fire would be appropriate. Corazon was a mind-reader – he hastily stabbed the cigarette out and called for a Marine who took his matchbook and cigarettes. There were three of them standing just inside the door – nearly identical in white caps, white jackets and black pants.

"Look, Law," Corazon then said, leaning to rest his elbows on his knees. "I'm… _exhausted_. Whatever happened for you to have lost your arm – can you tell me about it?"

"Going for the good cop routine?" Law asked on a thick croak. He was surprised he could form words after all this time. Corazon looked at him in surprise, then relief. It was genuine.

"No, actually," Corazon said. He reached out to pat absently at the blood stain on Law's pants. "Doing this for as long as I have, it's…honestly? It's torture for me, too. I get what you were saying about finding justice for yourself for the way you were treated. I honestly get it. You guys were just kids when this program started, and you were put through this shit over and over until you started following our commands and rules like clockwork. But it also made sense that you reacted differently because you were fed up with it. You're still human. There's nothing wrong with that. But you don't understand _why_ we're doing this."

He made a signal at the Marines standing just inside the doorway of the room, and Law watched with heavy shoulders as he saw that one of them carried a hammer. The other had a medical box.

"Our experimentation was geared for the right reasons," Corazon said. "The world was getting too crazy with nuclear talks. It made sense at the time to implement a program in which we could use living weapons to defuse a situation. There would be human reasoning involved, and a sense of mercy – rather than just dropping a whole bomb that could kill millions in one shot, why not create individuals that could talk and reason while keeping a kill zone small and neat?"

After weeks of enduring constant temperature fluctuations, starvation, lack of sleep and hallucinogens, Law wasn't sure he was ready for this step. His mind was too weak – it was taking so much to focus on the conversation and look for truths in Corazon's words while getting his own questions answered. So when he saw the hammer being given to the man, he did feel his face twitch.

Corazon fiddled with the hammer. "Hold your hand out. Or would you like some help?"

Reluctantly Law placed his hand onto the floor, spreading his fingers wide. "Ironic," he said shakily, "that you'd say that and then implement _these_ measures."

Corazon shrugged. "Unfortunately…it's important to show no mercy to those that don't understand the reason behind the cause. But you all seem to learn better from these tactics. I know it sounds monstrous, but it's worked for you, right? You've used the same reasoning on your own because you understand _exactly_ how it works."

Law couldn't say anything in response. He thought about everything he'd done to those that wouldn't understand his reasoning. All the deaths he'd caused just for fair treatment; all of those around him told him he was just the same as the Marines, and they were right. But how would he know otherwise if he hadn't learned any differently?

"Back then, someone inside the program thought differently of our intentions," Corazon said. "The concept of superhumans was too amazing to keep hidden away – they had other ideas. Maybe it was a spy, maybe it was someone that felt they could benefit personally from this. They leaked it to another party outside of our country. Once we grew aware of it, we had to eliminate the program completely – including our newly developed cloning department. We'd hoped to expand on your guys' program with a _just in case_ situation. Unfortunately after that the world went to war anyway, and it is what it is. When you returned to the bunker, what did you find?"

Law swallowed tightly. "Nothing."

Corazon nodded. "Everything was destroyed in a haste and the important things – those were transferred under cloak and shadow to other trusted departments. Our setup was necessary. But we had back up plans. From our bodies` we'd provide the first development into cloning. Gave step by step instructions, too – took some years, but only Germa perfected the program. Unfortunately, theirs was an advancement they kept to themselves. Judge withheld the schematics from Sengokou and I – he used the best plans on his children. So I'm going to ask you, where is the last Vinsmoke?"

"With the others," Law answered slowly. "But why clone only yourselves when there was an entire program of workers -?"

"You don't know?" Corazon repeated, frowning. He fiddled with the hammer, causing Law's breath to hitch. His fingers twitched in anticipation, hating that he'd obeyed his command so easily in the first place. "But he was with you the entire time?"

"Then why blow the fucking place up in the first place? How retarded."

Corazon thinned his lips, and his fingers tightened over the handle of the hammer suddenly. Law gave an involuntary hunch, expecting the heavy metal head to come down fast.

"There were some…things…that happened to cause the decision," Corazon then said, swinging the hammer about. It ended up flying from his hand, knocking out one of the Marines standing nearby. The others didn't react as this one fell, Corazon cringing. He looked to Law while snapping his fingers. Despite how cold he felt, Law could feel himself breaking out into a sweat.

"It wasn't easy, but that man was a straight up dick," Corazon said. "Sengokou and I thought it was necessary to remove him and his cronies from making any other advancements. He wanted to be king of the world. But we couldn't find his plans – he decided to play dumb and play on them being stolen from him in the first place."

Law wasn't sure about this story. Once Corazon had the hammer back in hand, he fiddled with it again.

"See, our thing was creating a program that would provide necessary mercy measures to approach a dictator or enemies in a manner that would eliminate huge losses of life," Corazon continued. "Our program was successful with the production of you guys – we couldn't produce anymore. Somewhere between then and now, various independents created their own versions of superhumans and you see how fucked up they are. Beasts that can't be controlled – Spandem's was close, but those guys could barely hold themselves back. Dangle a cat in front of them and their instincts take over. None of them could compare to you guys! You guys are unique! The cloning program was to replace you in the event of a dreaded 'just in case'."

Law paused to reflect on this for a bit before he muttered, "What if we are only clones in the end?"

"What if?" Corazon asked with a shrug. "Those pods weren't designed to last for centuries."

Law wasn't sure what to say. The hammer came down suddenly, and his pinkie erupted with mind-blowing pain that caused him to scream.

"A minimum of five years, max. And you were inserted into yours with a spit hood, Law," Corazon added with a mystified expression. "Did you wake up with it still over your head? Don't you think you should've suffocated ten minutes in?"

It was painful how he couldn't reach out with his other hand to clutch this one to him. Breathing heavily, Law struggled to stay focused on the conversation.

"With us out of the picture, we couldn't exactly monitor you guys this entire time," Corazon continued. "We were prepared to recreate the four of you once we were established. We didn't take all those fluids from you guys for nothing."

"If you had," Law said crankily, "then why not already form clones of us and take us originals out? It would make more sense to start over."

Corazon thinned his lips, then winced. He tapped his fingers together with a somewhat cringey expression. "There was a _tiny_ lab accident. I'm not allowed in the lab anymore."

"What….what makes Germa's product that much more impressive?" Law then asked, looking down at the broken digit that throbbed with every beat of his heart. It hurt, the pain racing up his arm and causing his muscles to twitch, his stomach to roil. But he straightened out his fingers, hand trembling as he did so.

"Every clone manufactured had some obvious flaws," Corazon answered, nodding with approval at his gesture. "Be it physical, mental or internal. Generally, the concept of clones suggest that a brand new one is built from scratch and you start over with a certain programming. But _his_ establishes directly from the first form – say one of his boys died messily. He would inject a certain serum directly into that body, which would rebuild from what was left behind to form a new layer. That new layer came directly with previous memories –"

"Like regeneration?"

"More than that. Our clones require a certain programming – memories can be lost or destructured by the newest influx of regenerating cells. Not this one – that serum rebuilds on where the program stopped and creates a fluid structure to take off where the body left off."

"This is how you and Sengokou were formed?"

Corazon dropped the hammer over his ring finger, and Law gave a pained shout, drawing that hand up against his stomach. The pain left an explosion of heat and weight that built in his gut and swirled around his thoughts.

"Similarly," Corazon answered. "While memories from the previous body were taken from the use of cells that hadn't yet died, our memories were screwed up. What made us _us_ wasn't our original form. We were expanded upon to form near different personalities as different agencies competed to grow the best clone. That bastard managed to succeed where no one else could."

When he was able to speak, Law mustered, " Then you are the last finished product of your kind, so once you're dead, you're dead."

"Which is why we need that guy to find out exactly what was used to reform him…when Judge discovered that his schematics had been copied, stolen – he went ape shit. That person is still out there – and, Law – _honestly_? How could a child have survived that trek from Germa back to the mainland in less than ninety days without food or water? Being that he's a clone himself, _who_ is watching over him? We're interested in both persons answering us a few things. Plus, he's the only project out of that program that came out right! They were trying for years to covert a human into an animal to manage the Wastelands, who actually kept their mind intact throughout both formations. I convinced Judge that he was a failed waste – Sengokou and I had planned on picking him up from sea but he eluded us, somehow. It had been a shame until we heard word that he was still alive in Water Seven's colony. Iceburg, that rat, purposely kept things quiet in order to protect the colony. He said nothing about hiding a Germa resident – he essentially aided our enemies."

After a few moments, Law said, "You were the ones that planted those shooters there."

"This was how we were able to get word on Iceburg's guests. _Duh_ , Law. Of course we'd plant spies. We wanted to see just how well your instincts held up all these years."

Law's hand shook as he placed it down in front of Corazon, breathing tightly. Corazon frowned at him.

"Why do you do that? Any normal person would pull their hand back and beg for it to stop."

"Say…this happened to us," Law said slowly, ignoring his question. "The same serum used upon us – considering the life sustaining fluids preserved our bodies and we were regenerated back to life – how would we know if we were a clone?"

Corazon considered the question. "I suppose in your case it would be difficult to tell. Considering that you woke up in the same state you'd left it, without any memory of doing anything before the injection. But the question is – _who_ and why would they do such a thing?"

Law trusted that Corazon was only telling him these things because he wasn't expecting Law to leave the place with it – why tell him all these secrets if they were still doing their best to break him down?

"Whoever it was wanted to use us, too," Law murmured.

"Possibly," Corazon admitted. "Maybe for the same purpose as us, Law. You can't trust anyone when you're as powerful as you are."

"Then what was the point of you intending on using us now?"

"We've been moving steadily through the mainland, reclaiming certain territories. It's only to rebuild the lands. Eliminate the Wastelands, combine the colonies. Restore our cities – it's not a bad thing to want this. It's too Mad Max out there, Law. Plus, we'd need your help to prevent other programs from continuing or succeeding. We'd managed to do so around the territories – destroying established labs from the inside, but we still haven't found our answers.

"You guys did great at Drum Peak – but Water Seven is a total loss with Perona's stunt. All of them were lost. We picked off all the zombies but there was a breech in the wall. Looking for what's left has been a real hassle. That virus could spread too quickly and if left unchecked – well, we just need Perona back." Corazon then counted off his hands. "So far, the group has taken down three colony heads since you've been out. Their pattern is too erratic – they're just meatheads looking for a fight and finding no satisfactory opponent. But once they leave we come in to restore order, begin repairs and take advantage of the resources as 'thanks'. That's what you guys were trained to do, right?"

Law shook his head slightly. What respect he had for Kid ebbed away – why didn't that guy see what they were doing after knowing everything?

"So, I'll ask again – where is the last Vinsmoke?" Corazon asked, positioning the hammer over his middle finger.

Law looked steadily at him. "He wasn't with them?"

"I wouldn't be asking."

"Then why not just use what I have, considering that this serum might have been used on us?"

"We have taken the necessary measures to extract from you to detail what it was that was used. The results haven't been finalized just yet," Corazon assured him with a nod. "Meanwhile, we're running off our own cloning process to create another one of you to prepare for the future. So once you reappear in front of us as a literally brand new guy, you'll have corrupted memories that we would have needed in regards to what you've already learned. We don't have the time to sort through all of that and piece together the puzzle."

Law felt, at that moment, less than human. His life was still being played with; he was still regarded as a some _thing_ , rather than a some _one_. It was frustrating.

"It won't be that bad," Corazon assured him, reaching out to rub the growing hairs over his scalp. "You'll still be _you_ – but knowing that you cannot die is a rather powerful thought."

"Because you have the resources. Once those resources run out, then – "

"We've taken better precautions this time. The only ones that know how are Sengokou, myself, and our scientist."

Law nodded grimly, looking at him again. "Then I'll just have to kill Sengokou, you and that scientist in order to be free."

Corazon frowned at him. "Don't be that way."

"I am a _human being_ , I have thoughts and feelings, wants and needs – I'm not a fucking thing for you to use!"

"You are a living breathing _weapon_ that was manufactured for our use. You were created for one task, and one task only. Besides, none of you have been socialized properly for this reason only – free and alone, you'll never fit in. It'll be your way or no way at all. You're a danger to yourself and others around you. You can't live in this world and expect it to change for your own whims without becoming a dictator in your own standing. Now, hold your hand steady. I might miss."

"What made you think you were god, Cora?"

"I don't," Corazon said, fiddling with the hammer. His lips pursed. "But it's easier to think this way after all that layering. I lost all my humanity, _myself_. It's easier that way, Law. I have these unclear memories of being lonely and rejected, and I don't feel those, now. For someone like you – it'd be fine."

"Well, before you do anything," Law said slowly, watching Corazon's face, "if you haven't found him yet, then there's only one reason behind it."

"He was picked up by his previous angel? It'd be impossible, because he and Zoro can't stay separated for that long." Corazon chuckled. "Zoro was part of Germa's research program, did you know? He was one of Judge's earlier experiments. But this clone was considered a 'pet' for those awful kids to practice their attack methods on. Sanji took him when his father set him off. Zoro was designed to obey whatever command Sanji issued – "

Law did feel better hearing this. It made more sense, now. Those two were well-connected and their lies perfected so that each of them worked seamlessly with each other in order to hide a secret. He felt a little envious at the amount of loyalty present there when the four of them would give each other away without a second thought.

"Well, it wasn't perfected because Zoro made his own decisions – "

" _Did he_?" Corazon asked curiously, looking interested.

"If Sanji wasn't with them," Law continued over Corazon's interest, "then that means they haven't found the body, yet."

Corazon frowned, lowering the hammer. "What do you mean?"

"I suspected that he was a clone," Law said, managing an expression of satisfaction. "So I killed him. This was why my arm was cut – it was Zoro that did so. It was why I was left behind."

Corazon's face abruptly changed, tightening in such a way that Law knew he'd hit a nerve. " _Where's the body_ , Law?"

Law felt his face grow heavy with a smirk. "Wouldn't you want to know? If Zoro couldn't find it, then I guess no one will."

"This isn't funny, Law!"

"If this mystery injector can't find it either, then I guess that's it for him. He can't be recreated, and you can't have your immortality serum. You mentioned Zoro was a product of Judge's – "

"He isn't the same project! I just told you that Judge used it only on his children!"

"Then you're shit out of luck if it wasn't used on me, aren't you?"

Corazon grit his teeth as he stood, causing Law to tilt his head back to look up at him. Seeing the frustration on the man's face gave Law a much needed feeling of satisfaction. He pulled his hand up against his stomach, and shifted to sit awkwardly against the wall.

After several moments of reflection, Corazon looked upset. He handed the hammer back to one of the Marines. "I'd hoped it would be easier if I got the answers my way, Law," he said slowly. Disappointment laced his every word. "Sengokou won't be as easy going as I am."

"It'd probably be easier if you just went ahead with your plans, Cora," Law said. "It'd probably be much easier if you had to start over."

"Your memories won't be the same! You'll either lose them or they'll be corrupted!" Corazon huffed, patting at his pockets for cigarettes before remembering he'd given them away. "Well, I'm sure you were your charming self, making friends wherever you went. In the end, you were abandoned and with one less arm. Maybe this time around, it'll be easier for you. Feral animals can't ever be tamed."

Law watched them leave, cradling his arm awkwardly against him. He processed the things that were said; some of them made more sense, now. He trusted that Corazon hadn't lied to him, considering how they'd already intended on replacing him with a newer, more obedient version of himself. Corazon was easygoing that way.

But he did wonder about his own sense of humanity – if he truly wasn't the original, then how was it possible to feel human at all? Would he continue to disregard compassion and empathy as 'weak' feelings unsuitable to his personality and grow into something completely inhuman? He was already on his way – throwing out his demands to be treated as human and then not returning the gesture to others.

What was the point of living human if he wasn't human at all?

The ceiling rumbled overhead before the rain fell.

: :

He woke up in the medical ward. His head ached fiercely, and he had no memory of what happened between then and now. For a second, he was gripped by horror so strong that it caused his entire body to tense. _Was he a clone_?

He lifted his right arm and realized that this wasn't so when only the stump moved. The pain only gave weight to the situation, and it was the first time he actually welcomed it. He couldn't help but exhale shakily. He reached up to touch his hair to check the length when his hand caught – it was cuffed to one of the security bars alongside the bed. A longer strap clung tightly to his middle, keeping his back firm against the mattress. His fingers had been wrapped with the telltale bandages of repair – Sengokou would want to start his "questioning" with him in good condition. He looked around himself, identifying the various bags hanging over head. He was being treated for dehydration and malnourishment – he must've passed out. The room had two Marines standing at attention nearby, frowning at him with expressions of uncertainty on their faces. It was so dimly lit that he couldn't see their faces very well, but it was troubling to think that they could have the the same faces – they could be the rumored artificial soldiers that Germa was known for.

The room was seastone, but a mild version of it. As with all the other facilities he found himself in, he noticed no form of cameras anywhere. It seemed odd that this sort of technology wasn't available when it seemed everything else was. There had been one posted in every room at the bunker; his expectation in seeing one drifted away. He felt so exhausted that resettling back into the pillow and mattress would be welcomed.

He exhaled shakily, looking up at the ceiling. Law was positive he'd just give in. This level of exhaustion was tiresome, but it made him feel smug that he had something they couldn't reach. If they weren't successful with the results, they'd still need him alive to tell them where Sanji was. Law couldn't answer that question anyway. Zoro had plenty of time to spirit away with the body to this mysterious injector to reform him, but it felt strange that Sanji wasn't present with the group to begin with. He should have asked Corazon about Zoro's moods if the group was being monitored.

It made him feel weird that they were being spied upon – how much had they seen and when? Corazon had said nothing about the relationship he had with Sanji, so maybe they hadn't seen that much. Just tracked their movement from colony to colony.

He would have to gain their trust. If he could get close enough to Sengokou and Corazon, identify their single scientist – he could remove them and their lab and be able to live peacefully without their interference. He would have to give up certain information and present a certain type of picture in order to show that they had him. But just how much of himself would he have to give up to do so? They still had use for him – they still needed him. Regardless, they intended on using him to complete their plans. He would have to figure out a way to work with this memory corruption –

He crinkled his brow all of a sudden. If Sanji lost his memories when he returned from his heat, did that mean he'd actually died every time? But Corazon said that this particular serum built up upon the previous layer and there was no interruption. With all the lies that man had fed him anyway, how was he able to tell the truth?

Why _lie_ to him in the first place?

The story Sanji had given him had to be false from the beginning. More than likely, he knew exactly what he was doing releasing the quartet from their containment units.

In the end it didn't matter; Law had his answers. Now he just needed to wrap this up. He tested the seastone cuff, hearing it clink noisily against the security bars. Without his other arm, he felt absolutely _useless_. The taste of freedom had been glorious – living without restrictions and making his own decisions had been absolutely gratifying. Now seeing the prison walls around him once more and being subjected to these conditions in this helpless state felt similar to having the sun yanked suddenly out of the sky. It felt suffocating and heavy, and it was infuriating to have it ripped right out of his grasp. All his anger and frustration built up suddenly, and he yanked repeatedly at the cuff in order to break it. It didn't work and he knew he couldn't do it – throwing a tantrum would be useless in this condition because it would drain him of his energy and wits, but all that emotion built and released anyway.

He reached out and snatched the IV lines with his teeth and yanked. Equipment fell over him, and the Marines hurried forward to calm him, so he kicked at them too. He released an angry shout, filling up the room with the noise just to alleviate some of that pressure. He managed to kick one of them in the face as the other slipped against the bed and knocked into him, so the double combination knocked the man out. The unconscious Marine slipped over the bed and hit the floor, and the other swept away the stands and pulled the lines from his arm so he couldn't cause himself anymore harm. Law tried to bite him, thrashing wildly for release when the Marine gripped his face with both hands and lowered his forehead against his, knocking aside his cap. He then murmured over and over, "Shhhh! _Shhhh_!"

The warmth of those hands zapped something inside of him, and Law stopped thrashing because he was plunged into shock. He looked at the man, struggling to restore his breathing. The familiar smell hit him moments later, and his throat closed up with other welling emotions, his chest painfully thick with other combinations that couldn't be sorted out. The want to cry out that he was right was buried underneath overwhelming feelings of relief and hot joy.

Once he was able to breathe easier, weak from the brief episode, Law was able to gather his thoughts and feelings back, pull them under his control. All the things he wanted to ask, all the things he demanded to know just left him. At this moment, all he wanted was _this_ feeling.

His cuffed hand grasped at the material of Sanji's uniform, clinging tightly to it.

"Next time, bury me in pieces, you plague infested _rat_ ," Sanji snapped at him.

Just hearing his voice again sent a painful jolt of happiness through him. It was an overpowering feeling. For once, Law couldn't think of the next step or an outcome; just stuck in the moment with all these crushing feelings slamming against each other, rendering him a thoughtless mess. Once he was sure Law wasn't going to continue lashing out, Sanji released him. He reached down and forced Law's hand from his uniform. He reached into one pocket, withdrawing a wrapped ball of rice. After a glance backward to assess his safety, he unwrapped it and fed it to the man, his expression glum. It was obvious he didn't want to be here – he didn't want to be in this position, and Law could understand. But he was grateful for it.

"I ain't about to trust you, but I ain't no unfeeling monster, either. Whatever it was ya'll discussed seemed pretty intense in there," Sanji continued, picking up fallen grains of rice, eating them for himself. "Couldn't hear a thing said 'tween either of you."

Law figured Corazon had used his ability to keep their conversations from the ever present Marines standing at attention. He couldn't look away from the man, already looking for the slight differences he thought would be present – but unlike Corazon's form, Sanji still looked the exact same as he did the last time Law saw him.

"Once Sengokou's talking, make the story pretty. That should give us enough time to finish."

Law swallowed the last bite. It wasn't enough – he was so hungry. But his stomach was upset after taking in such a serving, gurgling noisily in response.

" _Us_?" he questioned.

Sanji gave him a dirty look. "Don't worry about it."

"The others are here, too?" Law hated hearing hope coloring his words. Not that he wanted them here; not that he cared. But it would mean so many things if they were here to take care of business sooner rather than later.

"No." Wearing a dirty look, Sanji answered, "But you ain't need anything more than that. You wanna cry around 'bout being human, _act_ like it! Never seen someone invite so much pain before – that what you do to pass the time?"

"They can't afford to kill me."

"What's in it for you? Just cuz you… _disarmed_ …you suddenly don't got no will to live? Plenty of people out there without one! Ain't the end of the world!"

It took a few moments of mustering but above all that chatter, Law asked plaintively, "Please touch me again."

Sanji gave him a bewildered look. His own face reflected an understandable stubbornness to refuse. Law couldn't blame him, but this was something he absolutely _needed_ right now. After enduring weeks of torture and hearing what was planned, it was difficult feeling anything more than what he was right now. Feeling Sanji's touch had given him a warmth he needed to remind himself that he was, above it all, a human being.

After several moments of consideration and a heavy exhale, Sanji reached out and touched his face. He wore a troubled frown as Law leaned heavily into it, grateful for the contact. For several long seconds, Sanji kept his hand there –his fingers were stiff and awkward against the shape of Law's sharp cheekbones and jaw. It wasn't one of his normal caresses, and his stance was rigid; he clearly was not in a giving mood. The thoughts that would normally show on his face were hidden behind a severe frown.

There was a twitch to his expression before he firmly schooled it back. "Are you satisfied, now? You gonna prove more points?"

Law did show a moment's remorse before he pulled his face away from Sanji's touch. "It would have been easier if you had just told me the truth."

"There was no need to!" Sanji hissed at him. "Knowing all that is not even that important!"

"It is because it shows me where I have to go and what I have to do to have a fucking moment's peace away from people that refuse to acknowledge me as a fucking human being!" Law snapped back at him. "You're _just_ as involved, even if it's only secondary."

Stubbornly, Sanji replied, "Why take words from a darn clone, then? Eh? Ain't real people in the end, they just temporary, right? Expendable? Kill one, there's another popping back up in its place."

Law didn't know what to say to that. But he stubbornly held his jaw as he glared away from him. Sanji resisted the urge to slap him, but his own face welled up with frustration as he heaved an exhale and turned away from him. His shirt was caught once more by Law's cuffed hand.

"Don't go," he said tightly. "There's so much I need to do."

Sanji swatted his hand away. "I ain't going anywhere. But not gonna stay long in this place."

"They are looking for you."

"I ain't giving them anything. I don't know _nothing_."

"Even if you don't, whoever is behind you does," Law insisted. "Corazon told me everything about your father and his projects – up to how you _and_ Zoro came here together. That explains your bond. Both of you lie fluidly together about the same things – "

"What's it matter in the end?" Sanji asked him curiously. "Overall, what's the point?"

"Cora said they intend on recreating that immortal serum your father used on you so that we and them can last however long they find fit."

Sanji considered this for a few moments, then shook his head. "None of you should be allowed to live forever with this here act."

"You, either."

"Cuz my job ain't done yet – "

"You knew exactly what you were doing when you released us from that bunker!"

"Keep on telling yourself that to make yaself feel better," Sanji told him, straightening his hat. With his hair tucked underneath and the brim pulled low, he didn't stand out that much. The clothes he wore hid his weather beaten skin and Law couldn't help but wonder where the birthmark was, now. "What's the point of that old injury? What's done is done – obviously there be reason behind it, cuz look at you now. Getting fired up about your dictators, threatening them while learning your truths. What's it matter? You want we should put you back?"

" _No_ ," Law answered with a vague sort of frustration to his tone.

"Then shut up about it. That step's over. You got new ones in front of you. Why that matter so much when – "

"Because even that path was riddled with my future objectives. All of it built over each other, like that serum, creating something that will never _ever_ fucking end unless _I_ put an end to it! I can't live a life of peace if _this_ is still there!"

"All to be treated human? When you ain't even human at all?" Sanji asked, his tone heavy with indifference.

After a few moments, Law asked, "Then you know that for sure?"

Sanji stubbornly refused to answer him, and he grit his teeth with frustration. Sanji then reached out to depress the Emergency Alert button near the IV stand, causing Law alarm because he wasn't done talking. At the sound of the siren filtering in through the halls, Sanji added, "Don't look for me. Cuz I ain't gonna watch."

Law thought that if he were in Sanji's position – for theory's sake – he'd enjoy watching a person who had wronged him be tortured and subjected to immense punishment. But this is what made them different.

"In the end, am I really worth saving?" Law mumbled. "If we're not true human beings, then what's the point of continuing forward?"

Sanji frowned at him. He looked as if he hated himself at that moment, hearing the rushed approach of other Marines. He then threw himself down hastily as the door opened, and Corazon and the others hurried in at full alert.

"Oh, _darn_ you!" Corazon said with exasperation, kicking aside the unconscious Marine. He picked Sanji up and tossed him aside to make room for himself to come over. "What is _wrong_ with you?"

Law said nothing for a few moments, struggling to put himself back together. A few of the Marines hauled up the one he'd kicked unconscious – he hadn't, really; a revisit of that brief moment told him Sanji had done so with his aid – and from his peripheral vision Law saw Sanji straighten out his hat and walk out. It was a struggle not to look at him, and his breath felt hot in his throat as he slowly inhaled. Corazon watched him with concern.

"Thought…I thought I wasn't…freaked out, thinking I was…a clone," Law then stuttered, finding it difficult to string thoughts together. He was so discombobulated, he felt like his feet had been swept out from underneath him.

Corazon then frowned. He looked around the room, observing the mess. Then he checked the cuff that held Law's hand steady. His skittish behavior made Law wary. But Corazon said, "You took down two guys while strapped to a bed. I'm trying not to be impressed."

"Don't be!" Sengokou snapped at him, overhearing that comment while Corazon cringed in response. Marching up to the bed, the older man frowned down at Law before looking back up at the younger man. "Did you get enough rest?"

Law knew that answering wasn't going to produce any favorable details, so he didn't.

Sengokou looked to Corazon. "The results came back. They were positive."

Corazon lit up. "Great!"

"We have what we need."

"… _Oh_. That's…also great…"

Sengokou frowned down at Law. "But to build upon this one? Would it be worth it?"

"We have the other program running fine. He'll restart with some corrupted memories, but they shouldn't be too much of an influence on him," Corazon assured him.

"We've been at this for some time. It's taking too long to break him. If he continues to carry this willful defiance into his next form, it could prove troublesome for us."

"He was created to bring a certain energy that proved useful to us in training exercises, and he was the only one capable of following our agenda – "

"But he continues to try and outthink all of us."

"I'm right here, listening to every word you both say," Law reminded them stoically.

"He has shown a refusal to work with Eustess, manipulates Luffy into doing most of the work, and while neutral with Perona, tends to use her as well. All of them seemed to be fine working together, but _he_ refuses to do so. He clearly tends to follow his own agenda. The others had expressed certain reluctance to his assertiveness until it fit their needs. We need a cooperative alliance to succeed."

Corazon exhaled softly. "If we can't use him as a weapon of war, why not for other necessary reasons? Because of his craft, he's medically gifted."

"We have clones and serums for that. No one will miss him. Do it yourself and report back to me right afterward. Use the incinerator to destroy what's left – but we'll keep his genetic information in storage just in case."

"…Got it."

Sengokou looked back at Law, who wore an uneasy expression. To be discussed as if he were only a throwaway object…

"I would say it was a pleasure, but…it really hasn't. I'll be doing the world a favor."

Law stared at him for a few moments, then said, "When I come for you, you better not run."

Sengokou scoffed before he turned and left the room.

Corazon said nothing for a moment, then he pulled out a cigarette. He lit that with a heavy expression before reaching behind him for the gun he had there. "Sorry, kid," he said regretfully. "I have my orders."

Law swallowed tightly before he said, "Before you do, one more question."

"Make it fast."

"Even after I remove you, is there another of you stored away for Sengokou to revive? With the discovery of the serum, this is possible, isn't it?"

Corazon shrugged as an answer, but Law could read the answer. He smirked.

"Then I'll have the pleasure of killing you over and over again, knowing that you'll remember the last time I did it."

Corazon sighed. He pulled the hammer back, raising the gun. Law lifted his hand in reaction, straining to push something of his abilities but feeling nothing in the weight of his gesture. The folded sleeve of his missing arm flapped uselessly as that ghostly limb reacted similarly, and the striking pain of its movement caused Law to flinch.

Before Corazon could complete the move, a snarling fennec fox alit onto Law's lap. The sight of the animal caused Corazon to stumble backward in reaction, elbow swinging back and connecting with an unfortunate Marine's face. The others just shuffled slightly to avoid a similar fate, wearing puzzled expressions as they focused on the animal.

Corazon looked surprised, holding up his gun in a startled gesture as the fox laid low over Law's lap, tail moving with agitation. Tiny teeth bared up at him as huge ears laid flat, the room filling with its growls. Law was breathless because he couldn't help in any way, and he was positive that this was only going to end badly.

"Sanji?" Corazon asked cautiously, lowering his gun to his side. The fox darted at him with such aggressiveness that he stumbled backward and tripped over a Marine, sending them sprawling out the door. Quickly returning to his feet, Corazon strode over to the bed with an embarrassed look to his face. The fox resumed his position over Law's lap, ears laid flat.

"You said he was dead!" Corazon snapped.

"He _was_ ," Law said slowly.

Corazon holstered his weapon. That fluffy tail began to beat over Law's leg as the growling resumed, teeth bared at the man looking down at him. With a grim expression, Corazon lifted his hands, fingers wiggling with apprehension. Before he could attempt to capture the fox, long, thin arms sprouted up around his shoulders. The other Marines reacted with similar reactions as Corazon gave a startled shout. Necks snapped soundly in near unison as multiple hands went to work. At the almost perfect drop of several bodies, the fox relaxed in Law's lap. Then he darted off, shifting into human form. The arms wilted back into nothingness, Law wondering if he were hallucinating once more.

Pulling on clothes, Sanji kicked the door shut. He yanked out Corazon's gun while pulling up a Marine, flopping him nearly atop of Law. The gunshot went off so noisily that the room rung with the noise and Law's ear went silent. He winced, cursing as Sanji shook the Marine a few times, bloodying the bed where Law's head rest. Then he tossed the body and gun aside.

Pulling the sheets up over Law's head, he snapped, "No words from you. Guess we're done, here."


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N: Ahh, this chapter is long!**

 **Naghi-Tan: He has his moments :D I share your love of DP! God, I can't wait for the next movie! Ryan Reynolds is absolutely PERFECT! Sanji kinda explains it here – Robin has emerged from the shadows! :D And you're almost right ;D Her team is special.**

 **Penumbra: They do have a bunch of explaining to do, and I swear it'll come soon! He keeps proving himself positively! Of course it isn't that easy to do away with him and these two have a lot of words that need to be expressed.**

 **Nosh Ram: Ah – maybe this chapter will be easier? Hehe, still more explanations to come. Digging myself out of this hole!**

 **Harmonica Smile: Robin will share her story soon – it's too early for her to bring it just yet. Law needs to get himself together. Now the concept of humanity a clone has will be discussed, partly(?) here in this chapter. Law had some priorities he needs to have closure on, though, so it'll be a little tough – it starts here with this chapter. Cora walks the line rather clumsily! But with the way the four speak of him, while he follows orders, he tends to be the 'good guy' of the pair. D:**

 **Sarge1130: Thank you for your barrage of reviews! :D To start from chapter 28 – yes, that was very awkward for me to write but I had a good time doing it. They're the easiest pair lol Perona would have been horrified and would never let them forget how awkward they are. Law is smart, but he's not very good with people or socialization – poor Sanji. Who cannot help but have a heart to pity that (oh, spoiler!) He can be deceptive but somehow for a good cause in the end – he doesn't realize that it can have an ending like that, he's only focused on what he gains from it. So the others suffer lol but they bounce back quick! That scene actually inspired me! Spandem was prepared but not enough – Kid can think pretty well around obstacles and while not as conniving as law is, he gets his own results! Kid chose the manliest of men because he's pretty (ahem) manly himself lol Yes, the chapter was surpising but Law isn't all without heart about it – he learned a hard lesson, and he's still paying for it now. Law has yet to reveal what about Sanji caused his suspicions, but it'll come soon – once he gets a few things out of the way, first. His mind is constantly working and this makes him unreasonable because he just wants answers and assurances – beneath it all, he's just an insecure (kid) that needs stability. Hopefully he'll find it. Sanji couldn't believe how much Law went through, but it helped him (somewhat) with his own feelings to see exactly where these guys came from. To his own misfortune, of course. Robin was always a sneaky character but for good reasons! That should be a headsup for the remainder of her part in this story. :D Thanks again for your reviews!**

 **: : Thirty Four**

With the sheet covering his face, Law was unclear where he was being taken. All he knew was that there were many twists and turns through empty halls, and he tried to picture the structure as it was when Spandem was in control of it. Sanji only had to answer twice to superior officers meandering about what and where he was taking his "trash" – one of them expressed disgust at the sight of the stain that colored the bed and sheets.

But once a heavy metal door closed behind him, Sanji ordered, "Open that door."

"Did you kill him yourself?" a gruff voice responded, another metal door opening soundly. With the way their voices seemed to ring within a large room, and the horrendous stench of trash all around them, Law could already determine what they planned on doing.

"I should've! Gimme that key."

"Three minutes, Sanji."

"It'll be easy from here. Sengokou made it easy for us," Sanji muttered, whipping off the sheet and exposing a beast smoking a cigarette that looked down at Law with barely repressed contempt. It had similar features as Lucci's but with flowing blond hair, an eye patch, and what looked like laborer's clothes.

"He is so _ugly_ ," he commented gravely as Law frowned at him.

"Inside _and_ out," Sanji agreed bitterly, unlocking the seastone cuff at Law's wrist. He untangled the cuff from the security bar as Law withdrew his wrist, aching to have his other arm to rub feeling back into it. He clumsily sat up as Sanji detached the strap around his middle.

The beast gave his missing arm a concerned frown. "Are you missing some parts?"

"No, this is it," Sanji said gruffly, aiding Law out of the bed and steadying him when his legs nearly gave out from underneath him. Stubbornly, Law stood as Sanji pulled the stained sheets from the bed, tossing them to the beast. He then shoved the bed away and gestured at a slot in the wall. It was heavily stained, flies buzzing around it as a particular scent wafted around it. The beast grunted as he bent, wrapped the sheets around a body lying on the floor. Law watched as he then shoved it into the nearby incinerator, which flared brightly with the added mass.

"Go through there. Don't make any noise. Make it impossible for anyone to smell you," the beast told Law as he shut the door to the incinerator.

"Your hair is a fire hazard," Law told him as he prepared to climb up into the slot.

"You're only saying that because I _have_ hair," the monster grunted back, flipping the length of it over one shoulder. Sanji shoved Law through the slot before he could reply. At the sound of his weight traveling through the tunnel, he heaved a tired sigh. Then he quickly changed into a set of clothes Pedro had covered with some cardboard products nearby, the beast turning away to give him some privacy. Once his clothing matched Pedro's, he pulled a battered hat low over his forehead. In the flurry of his own movement, he didn't notice Pedro stealthily taking the seastone cuff for himself.

Assured that Sanji was fully clothed, Pedro looked at him. "Robin is nuts to draw you into the beehive."

"It wasn't her choice, it was mine, Pedro."

"Zoro must be going crazy right now."

"Are you going to keep abusing that sauce box of yours, or you gonna make the deadline?" Sanji snapped at him, straightening his uniform before waving his hands in the air with frustration. "And stop smoking around me! Y'know I can't have one yet!"

"Two minutes!' Pedro said unnecessary, following him out the door.

"Hey you two, hurry up! Get that trash out of here!" a Marine snapped at them while passing by. "Wasting time on those deathsticks of yours, eh?"

Both of them meandered down a nearby stairway and took an exit door outside, where the tank-like trash truck rumbled steadily, the driver waiting patiently. Pedro took to the back step while Sanji climbed into the front. Once the truck began moving, he found his cigarettes on the seat and lit up with an exhale of relief. The driver adjusted her hat smartly as she resettled her hands atop of the wheel and worked the pedals.

"That wasn't hard," she commented lightly.

"We're not out of the hole just yet, Robin" Sanji said grimly. "You find what you was looking for?"

"And then some! But we haven't done enough," Robin replied, slipping on some sunglasses. "Their security access was challenging but thanks to Violet, I was able to slip through without much trouble. I couldn't hear much of the conversation that was being held between them to understand what was happening – all I knew was that he told Trafalgar nearly everything that they know on the basis of him being executed right after. It was an act of kindness."

Sanji stared out the window for some moments before he muttered, "You still think this is a good idea?"

"I've had years to think it over."

"Well…he does want to stop them. But his ideals probably won't match yours or mine."

Robin gave a vague nod. She had given it plenty of consideration. She understood Sanji's hesitation. "I think we'll be fine."

They came to the back gate, where a couple of beasts prowled around the vehicle, sniffing for anything extra. Pensively, Sanji watched them from the side view mirrors and was relieved when they indicated that the gates could be raised. Then he shifted his vision to the building they were leaving behind. He was waiting for the discovery of Corazon and the Marines to cause an uprise of activity behind them, but Sengokou was apparently confident with Corazon's ability.

"That room was made of seastone, so how'd you do it?" he asked curiously.

"Every room they had placed Law into had deposits of the mineral present. But the only pure substance was the cuff they'd attached to him – Corazon was able to use his in order to keep his words silent, so I figured it was more than enough for me to try my hand. Took some effort, but I was able to do it. With limited travel on sea waters, it would be difficult for them to gather enough to form rooms similar to that of the bunker. The only true matter was placed into the single medical ward Spandem had built off from the building. They used that for Law's sequestering, but it wasn't enough to fully contain him without the use of that cuff."

"I don't know what was said," Sanji murmured regretfully. "But expressions were enough. Rosci wasn't gloating about things – just…relaying them as he knew them. He seemed so confident in the things he was saying..."

"After much searching, I'd learned that his and Sengokou's abilities aren't as strong as theirs – theirs are only scare tactics," Robin said confidently.

Sanji considered this for a few moments, then said, "What you going to do 'bout his arm?"

Robin shrugged. "Maybe it'll be a good lesson for him to learn from."

Sanji nodded, having nothing more to say about it. They traveled quietly along a road that was maintained by plenty of travel, but there were no signs of city dwellers like that first day. This colony was under Marine control and he'd come to realize that those busy people on the streets had only been Marines under disguise. Once they reached the dump area, heavy machinery working to burn separated piles of trash and others baling scrap, they parked the trash-tank near a concrete building. Pedro opened the back of the truck and hauled Law out before he could do anything, the man giving an insulted curse by the treatment.

The beast took him into the building under one arm as the others hastily followed.

"We're gonna get smuggled out with the scraps," Sanji said, hurrying ahead to open up what looked like a box made out of metal pieces. The dimensions were a tight fit, but already stocked with a Thermos and a lunch pail. Pedro deposited Law inside as Robin went to a canvas covered wagon driven by large oxen – the back already packed with several heavy pieces already labeled for delivery. The beast retrieved a single-stand forklift and fired it up.

Reluctantly, Law made himself as small as possible as Sanji shifted form. Once they were inside, Law shut the lid as Pedro maneuvered the equipment over. While he loaded the container into the back of the wagon, carefully maneuvering them into an allotted space, the oxen cried out anxiously. The movement of the wagon alerted them that they were on their way. The fox settled over his chest with a loud sigh, tail moving from side to side with some agitation.

While appreciative of the trouble taken to remove him from the facility, Law couldn't relax just yet. He had all of Corazon's information running through his thoughts, wrapping around the material he had already learned. He had a timeline running at the back of his thoughts, and while there were questions about the smaller things that needed some general verification, he had all the big pieces in place.

A leak in the organization had prompted Sengokou to make the decision to plant false appearances to other outside parties; they had already started the cloning process in order to keep their successful projects running for however long they needed them to. Providing the needed keys to those that were aware of both programs, only they could essentially power the cloning program to bring back their weapons of war. A leak in that lab had given the Germa Kingdom the necessary ingredients to formulate their own successful experiments, which far exceeded those of the original planning. But once it was confirmed that Judge would not stand with Sengokou and his program after discovering a leak in his own secret project, Corazon had aided Sengokou in eliminating the man and his entire kingdom based on that unwillingness to cooperate. They planned on keeping Sanji for future planning but had lost sight of him and Zoro as they crossed the sea and disembarked onto the Wastelands. But Corazon had expressed suspicion that they were aided by another that had an essential hand in causing Judge's discovery of copied 'immortality' serum – a serum that would regenerate missing parts or revitalize after a death to produce a successful clone.

From death emerged a new copy – which was used to apparently revive them from their containment pods; it made more sense that they'd perished eventually after a certain amount of time due to equipment failure. The entire bunker had no use to continue running – that shut down as well; the life preserving fluids remaining stale until they were revived. It was only a short amount of time when they breathed in the fluid – for him, less, considering that the spithood should have suffocated him. Only those three fit the timeline on reviving them, Law insisted to himself.

Energy had been saved over the years by undamaged but outdated solar equipment. Once they were revived, the bunker was back in service; unaware that they'd died and been revived had given them no other memories other than what they were left with before the containment.

While _what was done was done_ in Sanji's words, Law needed to know why they were revived if it wasn't Corazon and the others that had done so in the first place. That was an important question to know – Sengokou was implicit in that he wanted to continue using them as weapons of war to conquer and 'settle' this new world. Did this other person have the same intention?

Another factor he had to think about was that Corazon and Sengokou had mentioned they had already started the process of building a clone of him; so there would be another him running about, with all the corrupted memories of a world he'd left behind. Law was sure of himself, but he wasn't sure what another active, living/breathing Trafalgar Law would think of the moment he discovered that he was not in his own timeline. He was already considerably dangerous; what would another one of him be like? Could he face himself when the moment came down to it?

He was brought back from his thoughts at the repeated thumps of a furry tail beating against his stomach. He saw the fox look at him with what seemed like wariness. The small space given to each of them was like a coffin – the fox was nearly flattened atop of him, with the lunch pail and Thermos at Law's head rattling against the dirty barriers that kept them enclosed.

Restless, Law felt his missing arm twitching – he could still feel his fingers, and he had to remind himself that they weren't there anymore. He wondered where his sword was. The fox emitted a painfully loud screech that rattled his thoughts and made his entire body jump, his mind automatically conjuring up being back in the room. He reached up with his other hand and closed his fingers around the animal's muzzle, the fox pulling out of his grasp with a sharp nip.

"My ears still ache," he muttered. The fox's claws dug into him as the animal paced restlessly over his chest before resettling back onto his sternum, paws underneath his chin to continue looking at him. Big ears wiggled from time to time, listening to the various sounds outside of their box.

Law thought about the others – what if the other him was used to approach them? Not like anything could be done if their powers canceled each other out, but Zoro was the only true danger to him. Not that Law should be concerned with his other self. He hoped they didn't let their guard down. Kid knew enough to be prepared for a just in case scenario –

"Have you talked to the others at all?" he asked the fox.

The animal shook his head before giving one of his paws some biting attention.

"Then they'll think the one that approaches them is only me," Law said, furrowing his brow with concentration. "Of course, the discord will prevent any such fast repairs – they'll make their demands, and the other I will be…bothered by the accusations."

Sanji looked at him with question, head tilting to the side.

"The other I hasn't experienced what I already had – unless they somehow managed to use what was used to revive me in the first place. But it wouldn't make sense because the other I has already felt reluctant to cooperate – it'd be a repeat of this past event. If there was a way to harvest it for other uses, they could still use the other I from their own – "

Sanji bit him underside the chin, causing Law to hiss, reaching up to touch his face but forgetting he lacked that arm. So his left clumsily lifted to push the fox aside, and the animal made his way around his head, emitting small noises of discontent that hurt Law's sensitive ears. He winced, feeling a hard shiver rack his body – a part of him expected the cold and rain to hit, but when it didn't he had to school his thoughts back to the present. For several long moments he studied the box lid, momentarily lost in memory and sensation. His thoughts were rattled off course, and it was frustrating. Whether that was Sanji's intent or not, it kept him from thinking anymore on the subject.

In what seemed like hours later in uncomfortable silence, the wagon finally came to a stop. The box was unloaded under the smooth action of what felt like rollers – lifted up and away from the wagon and propped carefully to a steady space. The lid opened and Sanji popped out before Law could sit up, every part of him aching from the hard metal surface. But he observed the night sky and the temperature, the smells of a campfire and the weight of a tense silence.

Sluggishly, he pushed himself up to sit with his one arm, catching sight of Pedro already crouched at the fire – there were familiar faces there, looking at him warily. Violet and Rebecca, with Robin swinging her long, black hair out of her cap to shake over her back. The camp was settled within what looked like stone, with high elevation brush tipped with frost around them. The sound of the night life was different from those he'd known already – so he wasn't familiar with the area.

Violet stood up cautiously, glaring at him while her niece nervously played with her pink hair. Law looked to Robin as the woman sat down with a light sigh, long legs splayed out before her. In the time it took for Law to observe his surroundings, Sanji had gotten dressed, holding a pile of clothes in one hand while he gestured at Law to take his outstretched hand to help him out. Law ignored the gesture and rose to his feet unsteadily.

"What's the point?" he asked sharply of Robin while Violet's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"You're welcome," Violet snapped at him. Law didn't want to acknowledge her just yet.

"I'm afraid it's not time to share, yet," Robin said. "As sharp of a thinker as you are, your mind is not settled to accept answers easily."

"Learn to say 'thank you,'" Sanji snapped at him. "She didn't have to interfere when she did!"

"I need to know what exactly I'm thanking her for!"

"It's okay, Sanji," Robin said to the fox. "Pedro? Show him where he'll sleep for now."

"I don't want to sleep, I want to know answers," Law said, venturing close to the fire. The warmth was immediate – despite himself he sat at the very edge, feeling the heat eat at his seemingly frozen skin. Sanji yanked him back hastily, hissing at him.

"Is he missing a piece?" Violet asked with a frown, seeing the folded sleeve.

"Unfortunately," Robin confirmed. "It appears Zoro is stronger than one thought."

" _You_ were the one behind all of this," Law stated, looking at her.

"I was."

"Then - !"

"Before you say anything else, tell me – what happens to a wound when it's opened? Do you continue to play with it, or do you treat it carefully to allow it to heal fully to give it another chance?" Robin interrupted smoothly, looking back at him. "Your wounds are far too raw to hold the weight of a normal action – all the salt poured into yours is only encouraging infection, rotting you from the inside out. There is time to sit. I'll be willing to answer all the questions you have after you've sufficiently healed."

"I've waited all this time to hear something – "

"You have. Now hear this – I won't speak any other word of what you wish to know until you're healed. Your mind needs resetting – you're unable to trust because you've already made up the answers in your own mind. You want my answers – you'll get them when _I_ feel you're ready to have them."

Law exhaled shortly. He could feel his veins simmering with heat and anger, thoughts already winding up into ways he could use to force this woman to talk to him. Robin rose to her feet, looking at the others. "I'm ready."

"You'll be okay?" Rebecca asked Sanji tentatively, to which he smiled pleasantly.

"I'll be fine! You've left me extra cigarettes, that's all I need."

"We won't be far," Pedro said, lighting up another one of his. He passed a burlap sack to Sanji, who took it with a questioning expression. Law understood as they were moving that they were going to leave him with Sanji. He could feel his breath quickening with rising frustration as they walked away, headed back to the wagon. "Just gonna keep them Marines distracted until your mind gets fixed. No doubt they'll come sniffing for you, but won't expect you here."

"Before you do that, I _demand_ to know why you at least broke me out of there! That's something I should know," Law snapped, left hand trembling as he made to lift it. Sanji looked at him with warning, quickly stepping forward to stand directly in front of him.

"You'll just _thank_ 'em with words for somethin' they risked their lives for, an' let that be the end of it," Sanji told him low. "They don't owe you anything more than that."

"I can answer that, actually," Robin said, pausing near the wagon to look back at them. Once she had Law's attention, she said, "It's because I wanted to be sure where you stood. You passed the test."

Bombarded with incredulity, dismay and exasperation, Law snapped, "All you had to do was _ask_!"

She smiled lightly at him before climbing back into the wagon while Law glared after them with outrage. As the oxen pulled away, he felt breathless with frustration, hand clenched tightly at his side as he considered an appropriate sort of revenge for the tact.

" _Think_ about it," Sanji then said as he walked away, tossing the burlap sack aside onto a pile of provisions that had yet to be stored away. "What better way to test loyalty than to see it right up?"

"All of us have claimed our lack of loyalty to their program since we left the bunker!"

"Robin knows what she's doing. I trust her decisions."

"If you're going up against them, then it's no question where I will stand - !"

"Not with us, you ain't. You've always had your own mind 'bout something."

"Is this suspicion similar of the others?" Law demanded, marching over to the fire, standing close enough to feel the burn of his clothes. He couldn't seem to get close enough to feel the warmth in his bones – his marrow felt frozen. Sanji lightly kicked him back so that his clothes didn't catch fire, causing Law to look at him with a snarl.

"Stop trying to burn yourself up! Enough of that! She picked this place out, shut your sauce box! Come over here." With that, Sanji strode away from him, moving around a setting of rocks that had a suspiciously immaculate wall formation. Reluctantly, Law followed before he still had words building on his tongue to release. Ducking into what looked like an overhang, Sanji disappeared into a tunnel of darkness – Law followed cautiously, reaching out to touch the walls of the cool rock and feeling a temperature change as he did so. The cavern was wide and spacious, already brightly lit with some oil lamps. Centered within was a hot springs. The walls seemed too perfect to have natural degradation to them, but they showed no other signs of being human made.

"Take it gently," Sanji warned. "I'm going to move stuff to another cave, but I'll be within hollering distance if you need me."

Law examined the pool with awkward action. He looked down at his clothes, then at the shallow end that would allow him entry. Balance was still so troublesome – he was sure to slip and fall easing his way in. Seeing his reflection in the waters startled him – he truly did look a bedraggled mess. Close cropped hair, skeletal features, a lacking right arm – the dark bags underneath his eyes looked like they were eating up the rest of his face. Around his cheeks and jaw were errant sprouts of stubble, considering that it was difficult for him to grow any type of facial hair. At least they'd left his hard-grown goatee.

The new clone of himself would easily wipe him out in this state. Sanji noticed his hesitation, frowning back at him.

"You need some help?" he asked reluctantly.

Law couldn't stomach looking at himself. His own looks hadn't been of too much importance to him, so seeing himself now just made a feeling of self-hate burn up from his stomach and well up towards his throat. It was surprising how much he felt looking at himself when all he had been focused on was the weight of everything else on his shoulders. While the others had pranced and preened in response to their appearance based on whatever they were wearing at the time, all he'd been concerned was whether it was functional in response to his activity. He felt he didn't look human; he felt he looked like someone with a misshapen image like those recorded in the journals Spandem had showed them.

" _This_ was worth your lives?" Law muttered in response, watching his reflection as he reached to touch his missing arm. He could imagine making contact with it, so it was confusing to not see it present as his fingers met empty space. The stump seemed to ache in response, just as confused.

Sanji's expression darkened in response. "You thought nothin' of it to take mine."

"It was because I'd suspected you were a clone in the first place, operating with them," Law snapped, but there wasn't any weight to it. He felt exhausted all over again. "You told me nothing, and you would answer nothing. I had thought that if I killed you then Cora and the others would have to respond. I didn't expect _this_."

"All that overthinking of yours does nothin', does it?" Sanji retorted. "Didn't I tell ya that? Buncha times! You were wrong, an' you got hurt because of it! All you had to do was trust me!"

" _Why should I_? Robin said she was testing my loyalty, which only means that she seeks to use me – "

"Her reasons are for her to explain, not mine! And you're overthinkin' it once again! Will you be making anymore rash decisions? Tell me now before I start movin' stuff. Don't wanna waste my time."

Law couldn't think of any reason to do anything of the sort; nothing could compare to the emotions he'd experienced finding out that he'd been both right and wrong about Sanji. Now that he had the concept of it, a clone's life felt no different from that of a non-clone. All of the weight of his emotions and thoughts – the way his body responded to danger, to starvation and torture felt real enough. The loss of a limb was jarring, and even as he expected help to have it back, even that wasn't guaranteed. Out of everything he currently felt, uselessness was a big one.

" _No_ ," he responded shortly.

"Then do you want some help?"

"Why would you help me after what I did to you?"

"I told you, I ain't no monster."

"Then do you think that I am?"

Sanji sighed heavily. He scratched at his head impatiently. " _No_ ," he said reluctantly. "I just think you're stupid."

Law frowned back at him. "Someone that uses 'ain't' as a regular part of his speech to give away his lack of education – "

"Oh, bother, even when you all beaten up, you still gotta tick up your rear 'bout that!"

" – shouldn't be calling – "

Sanji peevishly pulled his shirt off, nearly causing him to stumble into the pool as Law sought to balance himself. "Enough of you barking at me like some ankle biter cuz things ain't to your spe-cifa-cations."

Self-consciously, Law reached across himself to cover the end of his right arm as Sanji continued muttering to himself, pulling at his pants. Undressing him like a child – it made Law feel that much more hateful of himself, being unable to do this on his own and reduced to a useless mess in front of a man that was physically lesser than him. He was aware that he picked on Sanji's lack of a proper education too much – he recognized that he shouldn't because this man had been the only one to match him. It occurred to him that Sanji wasn't even a 'man' – if he were still in his late teens, he was just a _boy_.

"How old are you?" he then asked curiously.

"Why's that matter, now?" Sanji asked tiredly, straightening. "It don't, it really don't."

"Is this even _legal_?" Law asked suspiciously.

After a few moments, Sanji asked tentatively, "You're askin' if my age is _proper_ for what we got?"

Law realized it was a pointless question, and maybe Sanji was right about him overthinking things. So his lips tightened.

Sanji rolled his eyes, stepping into the water first. Then he gave a bark of laughter while he impatiently waved at Law to either use him as support or take his hand. Releasing his own arm, Law reached out and grabbed his shoulder to slowly ease into the water. It was delightfully warm – seizing onto his body like a hot hand, causing a zing through his blood. The rocky bed was surprisingly smooth, inclining towards the center of the pool while leaving puzzling ridges that allowed for natural seating.

"Robin said this was once a natural hot springs that a hotel built over, so everything pretty much the same as it was back then," Sanji explained, guiding him towards one of the edges. The rocks and debris outside made more sense, and Law exhaled with a hiss as he slowly sat. His body appreciated the heat that seemed to permeate through his skin and warm him straight to the bones.

Sanji gave him a cautious look as he left the pool, shaking out his boots. "Don't sit in there too long. I'll be back in a minute."

Left with his thoughts in the immense quiet, Law reflected back on the situation at hand. The warmth of the water seemed to gradually usher away the intense cold that had settled in his bones, wrapping him with gentle comfort. He wet his hand and wiped his face and head, lingering on his shortened hair. The things he'd endured were things he was used to – the four of them had gone through it at some point or another. Always nursed back to perfect health by those that knew how.

Like lab rats, he thought. It plunged him down another road of uncertainty, quietly reflecting on the various reasons why.

Sanji returned some time later, fiddling with what looked like a blanket. "Come out, now."

Not moving, Law said, "What if we aren't even human at all? Grown directly from petri dishes, a series of clay blocks shaped into what we are now?"

"Only thing is, we think more than clay does, eh? Feel, see, hear – all those things. Now, c'mon – you're cooking in there."

"Only some of us do," Law muttered, looking at his reflection again. "Feel all the necessary things. Some given more than others."

"If you were, ya wouldn't feel so much about it," Sanji said with some exasperation. He gestured with the blanket. "Come up here. I got food cooking – soup."

"If you were just a robot," he then said before Law could open his mouth, "then ya wouldn't feel some things. Happy when things go your way, mad when things don't, frustrated when someone eludes your big noggin with some facts. Those human emotions. You bleed, right? Obviously break. It still hurts? Then you feeling somethin'. Heck, you have a good time in bed! You feel stuff for another human. _I'm_ human. I know I am."

Law considered these things, then muttered, "Then why don't they think of us as human?"

"Cuz they the monsters! Get out, _c'mon_."

"They could've train us to feel these things."

Exasperated, Sanji crouched at the edge with a gusty sigh. "They trained ya to do specific jobs and did all this nonsense ta make sure you followed they orders. If'n you were a perfect machine at their hand, then you wouldn't have to be told how what why when. You'd just _be_. Won't question their order, or their methods. Won't be rebellin' against them, either."

"There will be another me running around here, feeling the same way as I do," Law warned.

"Is that what they said they'd do?" Sanji asked, thinking about it. He had to wince. "That why it was easy for them to get rid of you."

"He might be more manageable for them. If they had been present instead of you guys, it would have been easy to forget about any attempt to try for freedom."

"Think we can tell you guys apart, now," Sanji said skeptically, gesturing with the blanket once more. Law slowly rose, feeling dizzy as he did so. Sanji ended up having to jerk him out once movement became blurry, and wrapped the blanket around him. Law went still for a few moments, sure he was going to pass out. Sure that he was sufficiently covered, Sanji then easily picked him up with a grunt, Law horrified with rising humiliation as the smaller – _younger_ – man carried him bridal style from the cavern. "I can get things done faster this way – I have your stuff spread out so I can make sure you eat while you get rest."

"Don't _manhandle_ me!"

"You actin' like an old man! Take advantage of it right now, cuz when you start getting yaself back, I ain't gonna be so helpful," Sanji warned him, depositing him to stand within another large room – the decorations were wind-faded and long destroyed by time, but Law could make out the design as that of the former hotel's lobby area. It had a sunken room where Sanji had heaped various blankets and pillows near some oil lamps, their supplies stacked neatly nearby. It was cold – _more of this outdoor living_ –the wind whistled through some invisible spaces that gave it a ghostly hoot, and the enclosure prevented him from seeing anything outside.

"Here are your clothes," Sanji said, patting a stack of material nearby. "I'm going to get the food and put out the fire. If'n you need help, I be right back."

With a disgusted expression, Law fought to get his dignity back, clutching the blanket around him. It was getting cold as the heat left him fast, so he crouched and sluggishly picked at the pile until he identified the pieces. They weren't Perona's creations, but basic jeans with some type of animal print on them, along with a long-sleeved t-shirt meant to be layered underneath a thick vest with animal fur lining the lapels and high collar. Judging by the climate, he figured this was necessary. He wasn't keen on wearing any type of animal print but he felt uplifted by the appearance of jeans.

He managed to get halfway dressed, frustrated immensely with only one hand by the time Sanji came in. The fox set down a cauldron and Thermos and intended on helping when Law snapped at him that he had it. So Sanji straightened up and watched him with a sullen expression. When it became obvious that he couldn't complete a few tasks, he didn't give a verbal ask but abandoned it with a glare off to the side. Sanji quickly zipped, buttoned and straightened the garments around him before Law pulled away from him to sit on the blankets with a hard sigh.

Heaving a sigh of his own, Sanji served him a wooden bowl and spoon. It smelled fragrant and inviting, causing Law's stomach to growl noisily. He set it down in front of him, crossing his legs. The spoon had a deep enough round to it that he could get enough soup into it without having to dig for more – the tasty was nutty and salty, thick to make his lips curl back and his eyes to water as he contemplated spitting it out. Sanji watched him with a glare, daring him to do so, so it took all Law had to swallow it down.

"'Sides, no one can program one to feel things," Sanji said, serving himself. "You learn 'em on your own, figure out what to do with them and act appropriate."

"Obviously, I'm lacking if everyone keeps telling me – "

"Cuz you still running on what _they_ do! Never seen someone so willin' to get hurt. A normal person would avoid that," Sanji muttered uncomfortably.

"They can't kill me – " Law cut himself off, reconsidering this. He examined his fingers, which had healed to near perfect condition. He gave an uneasy exhale. "Or…that was the thought."

"You don't like certain treatment, then why do the same to others?"

"Because it's what I know."

Sanji slurped down half of his bowl before wiping his mouth and saying, "That a lame excuse. Cuz I obviously ain't my family."

Law studied him for a few moments. He wondered if his clone would pause at the sight of the younger man and think the same things he had. Drawn to him unconsciously, developing feelings he couldn't explain or separate because they were things he hadn't felt before, or was knowledgeable of. Could he be jealous of himself? He wore an irritable expression at this enigma.

"What 'bout the others?" Sanji asked. "We can expect them, too?"

"No. Cora fucked up the storage lab… _somehow_."

"Then it makes things easier."

"No. If…the other I – "

" _Clone_. Say 'clone'."

"No, because it's weird. It's a concept I can hardly accept."

"Even if you're one yourself?"

Law exhaled again. "It's easier to think of the other I as a…physical split of myself as I am now. Like…a physical representation of - "

"Just say 'clone' and stop muddling your head with all these extra thoughts," Sanji said impatiently.

Law couldn't exactly let this word escape him. He said, "I can't. It feels that I am expendable – "

"It is near disbelieving that you'd say so of yourself, but think nothing of it when it came to me."

Law sighed heavily, looking down at the soup he'd yet to finish. He set his spoon aside.

"I think the same way as you," Sanji muttered bitterly. "Did everything it took to live, and yet when it came to you, no one as surprised as me when ya decided to gamble."

Law couldn't muster up any words in response, and Sanji set his bowl down, standing up. He found his cigarettes, giving him a disgusted look before leaving the room. Law watched him go, trying to sort out the heavy feelings he felt in response to the situation. He couldn't quite attach the words to them, so they swirled uselessly in his head for several minutes before he rose to his feet.

He was surprised to see how bright it was outside – the area was illuminated enough to see that this area was an abandoned town. Lumps of building debris was nestled amongst overgrown flora, and night animals called out sporadically throughout the open area. He couldn't picture where exactly they were on the map he'd taken from Drum Peak, observing the area with an uncomfortable look until he saw Sanji smoking atop of some rocks. Because of the proximity, he couldn't tell what those rocks had been. The nighttime chill hit him hard and he shivered briefly, reaching up to touch his head in response.

He walked over, feeling shaky with each step.

Leaning against the base of the rocks, Law struggled with his words before saying, "It was one of my biggest regrets to do so. I was frustrated with the lack of answers in a tense situation."

Sanji blew smoke into the air before looking down at him with repugnance. "Now that you know what you do, you're gonna feel comfortable doing it again."

"I won't," Law said quickly, anticipating that answer. "Now that I know what it feels like to be in the same situation."

"Ain't gonna trust you again."

"Then why are you here? Why did you take me out of there, knowing that it was you they were looking for?" Law asked with exasperation.

Sullenly, Sanji flicked ashes to the side. He gestured upward, Law looking up in the direction he was pointing. It took him a few moments to realize he was looking at a full moon. "I took a gamble, too," Sanji muttered. "Seemed to have worked."

Law looked back at him, surprised. "But you're in no heat state."

"That's why I did it. I dunno how my biology works, am learnin' like everyone else. Figured if I made a decision, it couldn't hurt to see what happened. It being the first time in ages my mind clear like this during it." Sanji sucked in some smoke before adding, "My loyalty towards someone I chose as my mate won't let me ignore common sense."

Law felt his face fill with heat as he scowled hard. "It's your own fault."

"Right?"

"You can't be mad at me for a decision you made!"

"You ain't got no right to be mad at me for makin' one! Not after what you did!"

"I'm – I'm _sorry_!" The words felt awkward leaving Law, causing him to fumble with it. But they felt right because he truly felt them. Only difficult that they'd leave him when he hadn't heard the words given to him at all. He didn't know whether to be angry or express more on this train, but he added, "It's a regret I'll have to live with. But I didn't ask you to make that decision."

"Shut up! I hate hearing you talk right now," Sanji snapped at him, finishing that cigarette and tossing it aside, lighting up another one. "Everything you say now just makes me mad."

Law thinned his lips, stubbornly saying, "I apologized and that's the end of it."

Sanji looked down at him, sliding the cancerstick to the side of his mouth. "So don't question my loyalty."

"So I have to be grateful?"

"Why are you such a _pill_?"

"Because I don't deserve it! I treated you almost similarly as they treated me, and you think I'd know how to be a - ! A _proper_ person! You have no right to be mad at me for your own stupid decision - !"

"I can be mad all I want! You killed me!"

It was so weird hearing that from a dead person that was fully alive in front of him. Mindbending. Law had a hard time accepting the concept despite it glaring down at him and hearing the words bounce around his head. He rubbed at his shoulder, missing the weight and length of that arm. It felt like his fingers were clenching hard at his hip – he wanted to cross his arms to combat the cold and the personal attack he was feeling.

" _Jerk_ ," Sanji muttered bitterly, looking down at his boots while crossing his arms, temper keeping him warm in the chill.

"Well, how long are you going to be mad at me?"

"I don't know! It shouldn't have a limit!"

"I'm not going to do it again."

"I am _so_ relieved hearin' that."

"What do you want me to do or say? I can't take it back! It is what it is!"

"Then get used to me bein' mad."

"Then why not just find another mate?" Law asked with exasperation, but hating the thought of it. " _No_. Never mind. I would be angry at that."

Sanji snorted, shaking his head incredulously. "I just went and told you, _I don't know how this works_! I can't think that way – 'sides, how that gonna work if both of us got multiple chances comin' back to life, anyway?"

"Then I'll just work on eliminating that possibility for the rest of my life!"

Sanji snorted again and Law looked back up at him with frustration. "Luffy is the animal expert, you can ask him how it works."

"I don't wanna ask nobody about this type of thing!"

"Then being mad is pointless!"

"It's not! It's a perfectly acceptable thing for a normal human being!"

"It's not normal if neither of us is 'normal'!"

"You're such a buffoon, you're a _moron_ , stupid rat waste, infectious plague on a shit stick still wet from the ass!'

Law figured he deserved that creative name calling, thinking if he continued speaking with Sanji and somehow educating him on proper speech that it'll only continue to improve.

"Are you done?" he asked impatiently. "We need to move onto more relevant things."

"This is _relevant_!" Sanji hissed at him, hopping down from the rock to face him. "Right now, it matters what and how I feel so you can understand, get it through that dung thick head of yours, and maybe you'll learn it and feel it and - !"

"Oh, so you're my emotions coach, now?"

"You the one always cryin' about not having any!"

"I have _some_! This is a stupid waste of time, we should be planning for the next step – _you're_ the one that made the dumb decision to make some lifetime commitment to me, so even if you don't like me, I can still use you to - "

" _I am not a thing for you to use for your own personal service_!"

"You _are_ a thing, just as _I_ am a thing – we're all _things_ in this stupid world, none of us have choices until I gain total freedom!"

" _Agh_ , you're _so_ annoying! None of us are _things_ , we just as human as the rest! You're so darn stubborn, you vomit faced jerk - !"

"If we're easily replaceable, we're _things_ , _manufactured_ things made up by something other than God - !"

"Thinkin' like that won't help you after you succeed," Sanji warned him. "You can't be bothered to change now, you think you'll be happier later? You'll _never_ be happy, you'll just find something else to obsess over to fill that empty spot."

"I am pretty sure that after I succeed I will be satisfied with my life then. Free to do whatever I want, however I want – "

"There are _rules_ \- !"

"I follow no one's rules! I'm tired of other people's rules!"

"Natural laws and rules exist for a reason, jerk-off!'

"Whether they're acceptable by me, I'll follow them – "

"It's not up to you, you're not king of the world! You wanna be a normal human being, then start actin' like one!"

"That's what I'm trying to do - !"

"You're just arguing just to hear yaself! How long you gonna fight yaself over this?"

"Until you stop forcing your opinion on me!"

"' _Forcing'_?" Sanji repeated reedily until he laughed, removing his cigarette to do so. He shook his head, turning away from Law. He ended up throwing his cigarette to the side, arms waving about. "I am 'forcing' you to feel things, I am holding you back! Everyone gets the blame but you, eh?"

"Why should I get the blame? The only thing that I should carry the responsibility for is the decision I made with testing you. All the rest – that has nothing to do with the situation at hand, which has a greater impact on my life than this," Law said firmly. He watched as Sanji stopped pacing, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. He still had his back to him, so he couldn't see the expression he was wearing. He unclenched his fist, unaware that it was held so tightly. "Why are you so unreasonable about this? Why am I fighting with you over it? Why can't you understand how I feel?"

The silence after was long and uncomfortable, and Law felt restless the longer Sanji kept quiet. He kept looking at the moon, but Law couldn't see his face. He felt bugged that he couldn't.

"All right," Sanji said low. "That how it gonna be."

Law felt worry build up from the pit of his stomach, but it felt strange. Sanji turned to face him, but his expression was hard and unforgiving. "I was built to follow my father's rules and meet his expectations. I will follow you in the same way I was built."

"I don't want that from you," Law said slowly. "I admit to being…stubborn and willful, but…with you I feel…human. Maybe not the right human, but these feelings do tend to motivate me to want to fight for complete freedom to experience a life denied to me by others. That's all I want."

"Then ta order to make things easier, it'll be easier to just give my loyalty to ya without the trouble of my feelings."

For a few moments, Law considered his answer, then said quietly, "I want your feelings."

"What's the point of that trouble? You can just depend on me, and I'll use this bond to prevent my heats. Each of us works out well with this."

To go this far just to avoid his heat stages made Law feel bad. He was frustrated to be put into this spot when he had just left a facility that left him broken down for weeks. He was sure he was only throwing words about because he was just used to fighting, and he wasn't thinking clearly to be a manageable person. He felt angry being put in this uncomfortable spot.

"I don't want that," he repeated.

"Too bad, because I made my decision."

"Then un-make it! Because I don't want it! I want your goddamn feelings and for you to make me second guess myself! I don't want a fucking robot! If I wanted one, I'd go and – and get one!" Law shouted, feeling his face and neck heat up.

" _Then make an effort_!" Sanji shouted back. "Instead of stubbornly holding your ground an' sayin' that it's just what you know, make an effort to consider another person's thoughts and feelings!"

Law stared at him. He could see himself asking how a person felt about their incoming demise over some wrong they'd done to gain his attention, and following through with his decision anyway. At least he'd know what they thought before he got rid of them –

"And your stupid face says it's appropriate to ask a person what they feel before you kill 'em, right?"

Law looked at him suspiciously. "Are you with telepathy abilities?"

Giving him a disgusted look, Sanji set his hands on his hips and then glared at him.

So Law gave it some reluctant thought, reaching up to rub at his missing arm with absent action. "Then, will you still be mad at me?"

"I cannot express enough how I'm _still_ gonna be mad at you for killing me."

"Then you owe me an explanation why it's wrong if I turned out to be right."

Sanji dragged his hands down his face with agitation. "How 'bout if I get rid of you and make claim on the new one of you, instead? Maybe you'll get it then."

"That won't make me any happier, considering the entire action would be erased if they'd used their method of cloning rather than perfecting the type taken from me that was used on you, so – "

" _Making any sort of point with you is like arguing with a child_! You bother me!"

Law thought about it for a few moments, then added, "Potentially _two_ of me might be running amuck, soon, if they're able to do so. I'm going to have to ask you a favor – and it will possibly make you happy. You can take out those clones of me in response to getting your revenge."

Sanji just stared at him, exhausting any further arguments that he had.

"They might drop their guard around you," Law continued. "So if you can strike a killing blow right away…"

He trailed off, finding it horrid that even these clones, capable of his same feelings and thoughts, would be unknowing that they were clones. Confused why they were being ordered to find another one of them – _him_ – and why there was two of them in the first place. It would be uncomfortable murder. But he couldn't find rationality in three of them co-existing peacefully together when all of them had similar goals and if they happened to disagree with each other –

"I have a headache," he then said slowly. "I think I will retire to bed and try to sleep."

"It's cuz you think _too_ much," Sanji complained.

"I might have a hard time sleeping – I will require your assistance." After a brief pause, Law asked awkwardly, "How would you feel assisting me with that?"

"Killing the other yous?"

"No, helping me sleep."

"I'd be _glad_ to render some service," Sanji muttered, tapping his boot against the dirt.

"Will you continue to be angry at me doing it?"

"I'm still mad at you!"

"Well, when will you get over it so that we can cooperate peacefully again?"

Sanji scraped his fingers over his hair once more, eking a frustrated noise.

"I do feel bad about it, but I don't know how to fix it. I'm just relieved that I was right. So perhaps you should work on that issue, resolve it, and we can move on from it. But for now, I require your presence when I sleep. I…" Law searched for the right words to use then decided to say, "It'll take at least a week to regain a proper sleeping method after weeks of which I had undertaken under the direction of Corazon and Sengokou. Plus, you react to me rationally and noisily, which will make it difficult for me to kill you again. Also, I will require you to assure me that I am not hallucinating in the event I do wake up and get confused at my surroundings. It was smart of the others to just leave you here instead of sticking around because in that state, I might kill them without a second thought. I was always a little trigger responsive afterward."

With a sullen expression, Sanji muttered, "You want me to sleep with you cuz it makes you feel better. Just say what you feel. Treat me the way you want to be treated."

It was what he intended to say, but it hadn't come out the way he'd thought. So Law shrugged. "That would be okay with you?"

"It couldn't be _that_ bad, considering how you demand to be treated."

Law thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "Fine. It seems ideal."

Law had to admit he felt some relief to be able to share such a long conversation with the other man. It felt right and it felt comfortable – things just felt lighter being around the fox, and even if it were troublesome for the fox, Law felt selfishness was necessary right now. He wanted that comfort – it felt so much better being in his company than recovering from the Marine's disruptive tactics on his own. He wondered if he should express that, and he considered their earlier discussion.

He cleared his throat. "Being around you is…soothing."

Sanji made a face – it looked like a mixture of guilt and irritability, so Law expanded on it to say, "You allow me to feel things that are difficult to express, but it makes me feel human. So…that is why I cling to you selfishly. Maybe one day it'll ease up, if that will make you feel better."

At the glare from the fox, the way he grit his teeth and seemed to tense up, Law made a troubled frown and wondered how his expression was taken wrong.

"Good to know," Sanji retorted. "Putting a limit to your feelings."

In exasperation, Law made with shrug to indicate his confusion, but the pain at the point of his missing arm made him retract that movement. "I'm trying, and you're never happy with what I do tend to give."

Sanji continued frowning at him, considering his words. He seemed to take his time measuring Law's expression and body language, and something in him eased down. He came to some type of conclusion of his own, and relaxed his entire stance.

"Thank you," he said tightly. "It's nice to see the effort."

Pleased, Law then said, "Then you'll work on not being mad at me?"

Sanji wasn't sure how to look at him, but he shrugged. "I'll do my best."

Despite everything that had occurred, Law did feel much better than before. He felt his facial expression relax – it was troubling enough to have Sanji's turn into a sulk.


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N: I can't believe I've been whittled down to a chapter a week. My god.**

 **Harmonica Smile: Hopefully this chapter concludes all the questions! D:**

 **Naghi-Tan: It's totally okay! Work first, then fun! Yeah, it's finally whittling down. I'm exhausted lol**

 **Sarge1130: Oh, he's a mess all right. But hopefully time spent with Sanji and settling his thoughts will help a little. D: He's slowly starting to turn his thoughts and actions around as time passes and it isn't what he's used to – that conscience is slowly easing into place. He was starting to worry about the age difference lol no problem now!**

 **: : Thirty Five**

Kid noticed that Zoro had grown a little tense over the past few days. While behaving normally, his frowns seemed heavier while he was in the middle of some quiet reflection. Kid had thought this tension was only because of the loss of his friend, and all of them had done their best to ease things around him. Zoro kept expressing puzzlement over their actions until he was reminded that these things were done because Sanji was gone. Kid thought it was odd that Zoro would then 'remember' that his friend was gone; it tickled the back of his brain.

None of them missed Law in the slightest. Things seemed more chaotic as a result of his absence. Without any of his plans or actions to follow, they happened to make rash decisions based on what they wanted; not what they needed. It was their quest to search for powerful opponents and conquer them, and unfortunately part of their search often ended up inside colony walls, causing chaos. Kid knew that dominating entire colonies wasn't part of their intentions, but it seemed that many of them felled had people relieved at the exchange in power.

They were _almost_ heroes.

They were recovering from a hard battle fought in Alabasta, Luffy letting Crocodile cling to life while they raided the palace for things useful on the road. Kid was looking for a map that would lead them away further inland, wandering from one room to another for any source of information. Dressed in desert garb, Kid was sweating uncomfortably as the hot air sucked at his energy levels. Zoro and Ussop was wandering some distance behind him, talking low about the battle but Kid tuned them out.

In one room, he came upon piles of scrolls and old books. The walls were decorated with sand paintings and shelves with pottery pieces – vaguely interesting but not interesting enough to catch his attention. He shuffled through the various stacks stuffed into long vases, growing annoyed with the task. He upended one large vase, scrolls unraveling at his feet – as he kicked them aside, he caught sight of a few thick bound books with extra long pages stacked underneath a desk. He retrieved one of them, seeing that they were written in some language he didn't recognize – but the pictures detailed human anatomy and formulas. He wondered if this was part of the project – Crocodile had been the only opponent with abilities, and it seemed that the man had made sure that this stayed so.

He flipped through another, finding copies laminated and taped to pages – these suggested that they could be stolen plans on the superman project, the toner lines streaming down the pages on the left. It took him several moments, but he became aware that he couldn't hear the others' voices. He lifted his head, listening for any sign of the pair that hadn't been that far behind him. Zoro would have said something to him about wandering off, and Ussop wouldn't let him disappear for that long.

He lowered the book, looking to the doorway until something at the corner of his eye moved. He emitted a startled gasp at the familiar form standing there, looking over a bookshelf stacked with leatherbound books. He slammed the one he had in his hands onto the table.

"The fuck you doing here?" he demanded in outrage.

"It's a free country," Law replied lightly. "I can be anywhere I want."

Kid glowered at him. He was disappointed that the man had survived after all. "You're not welcome here."

"This isn't your kingdom, and your rules wouldn't apply to me, anyway," Law said, pulling a book down. "I won't be here for very long. It's too hot."

"Once those other guys know you're here, they're not going to be very happy about it," Kid warned him, pulling out another book.

"Then it'll be on you, wouldn't it? They trusted you with a task, and you failed to follow through." Law tsked as he flipped through the pages. It suddenly occurred to Kid that the guy wasn't wearing the same garb as them – the bright white outfit was eerily similar to something he'd seen Corazon and Sengokou wear back in their day. He also noticed that Law was using both arms – and the one that Zoro had cut off didn't have any indications that it was a prosthetic in any sense.

He gestured at it with his chin. "Where'd you get that?"

"From this shelf."

"No, _ass_ , your fucking arm!"

"God, that voice of yours just sears straight through my ossicles," Law complained, setting the book aside. He looked at Kid with a frown. "What was wrong with my arm?"

" _What do you mean_ – Zoro took it! Stop fucking with me, I'm not in the mood."

"Why would they do that?"

"Because you _killed_ Sanji, you dipshit!"

Law gave him a puzzled look, but he said, "So, you didn't find the body after all?"

Kid squinted at him, crossing his arms over his chest with impatience. "Whatever you did with it you sick fuck, it's up to you. I was hoping you weren't storing it someplace for some weird fetish of yours, but I guess I'm relieved that's not the case."

Law once again gave him a puzzled look, then looked at the ceiling for some divine guidance. Finally he said, "Well, I guess the details aren't that important. I came to ask Zoro what he'd done with it. After all, he'd be the one to know."

"You are one sick puppy," Kid decided. "First, you make us _beat_ your ass into tomorrow, then you come back to confront the one person who's most upset about it. He's gonna take your other arm with him, probably use it as a chewtoy."

"We are talking about that dirty, green haired guy, right? Who looks like he stepped off a Mad Max set?" Law then scoffed. "I have a strange urge to plant him."

"I didn't miss _this_ ," Kid said, waving at him. His nose wrinkled with judgement as he took in the gold buttons on Law's tunic, the way the shoulders were padded with material to look extra sharp. The blue sash over his striped pants and suspiciously clean boots made Kid's teeth tighten with irritation – all of it screamed 'Marine'. "So, did you defect? Or is this a sick joke?"

"The sick joke in the room happens to be that kohl you picked up," Law said, looking at him skeptically. "And those pants – what are those? They look like something you'd see on the floor in 'The Shining'."

"Enough complimenting me! What are you doing here?" Kid snapped at him. Then he froze. "Did you have some sort of a mental breakdown?"

"I'm here to ask a few questions," Law said. "Mainly of this Roronoa person."

Kid frowned at him. He felt bewildered with the way Law spoke of Zoro – it was with a completely detached, unfamiliar manner. He had thought that Law was only talking down of the other man with the way he seemed to 'forget' him, but it was growing apparent that Law had forgotten a few things regarding the wolf. So he stared blankly back at the man, lowering his arms to his sides.

"Are you serious?" he then asked again.

"Dead serious," Law said. "This is as good a time as any to get the answers I'm looking for. Then you guys can move on and do your thing, and I'll return and do my thing. It both works."

Kid's thoughts scrambled. The more he stared at the other man, the more things seemed to slowly stand out to him. Law was roughly the same size he was when they'd first emerged into this world; his skin untouched by the sun. The way he wore the uniform and seemed to have a nervous look to his eyes as he looked around them suggested of the time they'd first emerged from the bunker.

An unsettled feeling grew from his gut. He swallowed tightly. "You miss him?"

"Miss who?"

"Sanji. You miss him, don't you? That's why you're all fucked up."

Law's brow furrowed as he stared back at him. Bewilderment caused his lips to tighten. "I don't know why I would," he said slowly. Kid could practically see his gears turning. "Considering how…easy it was to kill him in the first place."

Kid exhaled slowly. He worked his jaw from side to side. _Something was wrong_ , his gut told him, but he wasn't sure of what.

"What do you want to know from him? I can tell you," he said casually. "After all, we talk a lot. Probably a lot like how you and Sanji did."

"I don't see what common interests I'd share with a nineteen year old, uneducated hick with suggested virtue problems," Law said.

"Ah, so that's it," Kid said with understanding. "He's got a past. You don't. You were always such a jealous, selfish person."

Law tilted his head with bewildered. "Why would I be…? You know what, never mind. Just tell me where that rat took the body."

"Why do you want to know?"

Law exhaled through his nose, folding his arms behind him. "It's not to interfere with what you're doing, Eustess. You're doing a great job on your own. Rather, it's of common interest to find and retrieve the person or persons responsible in renewing that clone. His ties fit in neatly with ours – I thought we went over this? Has the sun baked your brain?"

Kid absorbed this information. He knew the way Law worked – admittedly, sometimes he was slow to the draw when it came down to it, but he understood that Law was still running off the things Spandem was telling them. Spandem's interest in 'the last Vinsmoke' had suggested that their cloning facility was now depending on whatever it was that made up Sanji. Law had suspected that he was a clone – so it aroused Kid's curiosity.

"How'd you know, man?" he then asked. "That Sanji was a clone?"

Law frowned slightly at him, and Kid thought that he looked a little troubled by the question. But he cleared his throat, saying, "We _talk_ , as you said. He gave enough information for me to understand that his last formation was cause of a recent layering that made it possible for the potential of retrieving certain – "

"So, he _told_ you he was a clone. Those were his, like, exact words," Kid verified.

"Yes, he told me."

Kid's fingers clenched. "Why you lying?"

"Why would I lie about that – ?"

"Because on the day of, you told us all you _suspected_ he was a clone! So if you killed him on suspicion of him _being_ one, then it doesn't make sense that you'd actually kill him in the first place! I told you then, and I'm telling you now, you're a sick, twisted fuck!"

Law's frown deepened before he looked around himself, noting the various decorations on the walls and lingering on the nearby window. Kid thought that he looked a little anxious – pausing just to reflect and gather until he was settled with the ammunition he had.

"Nothing wrong with removing the smaller fry, Eustess," Law then said in response.

Kid made to yell at him once more before he caught himself. It struck him that he'd left Law incapacitated in a stronghold that belonged to a Marine-like formation. He hadn't died, but he'd regained his arm somehow. Considering the weight packed on him, the lack of color – it struck Kid that he was looking upon a clone. The possibility was so striking that his breath actually caught in his throat. Of course his mind exploded with panic and risks – if there was one of Law, were there others of the rest of them?

Law had snapped at him that he might end up facing against himself one day, and Kid thought that perhaps his words had come true. But _how_ \- ?

He felt his eyes widen with horror. "Who are you with?"

"Myself," Law answered.

Kid listened for Zoro and Ussop, and realized he hadn't heard their voices in awhile. For a moment he panicked that this Law had gotten to them when Kid wasn't paying any attention – but surely Zoro would detect the man by scent alone. His sense of smell was nearly impeccable in sniffing out potential enemies. And Ussop would not have gone down without making any noise.

He felt for the weight of metal embedded into the walls, the floor beneath him. Once he caught the heaviness in his detection, he made a grand show of flailing his arms and stomping his feet, causing Law to look at him with utter bewilderment. Out of Law's sight, Kid was pushing whatever it was out from the floor beneath them into the floor below that. It would cause a tremendous barrage of noises, considering how forceful the action was, but he heard absolutely _nothing_.

Which only told Kid one thing.

Breathlessly, Kid said, "New dance move I picked up. Kinda cool, huh?"

"This desert environment baked your head," Law decided, looking at him with confusion.

Kid was confident that even if he couldn't hear the others, they would no doubt interpret that action as something being wrong. Zoro would investigate immediately. But his throat felt tight because of the conclusions he'd come to. He looked at Law with a tight jaw.

"Why you still workin' for them?" he asked. "You've hated it for so long, just like us – _why_?"

"I work mainly for myself," Law told him with a fold of his arms over his chest. "I want answers. The more information I learn, the more interesting it is. Now, where is Roronoa?"

Before Kid could answer, Zoro and Ussop hurried through the nearby doorway, catching sight of Law with startled expressions. Zoro withdrew his swords with a snarl as Ussop reacted with a gasp.

"How are you alive?" he cried. "You're supposed to be dead!"

"We've got to get out of here," Kid told them. "We've got to get out of here, _now_."

"We're not running from this guy!" Zoro snarled at him, handle already between his teeth.

"He's not alone! This one's a clone!" Kid spat.

"A _what_?" Ussop repeated dumbly while Zoro looked perturbed.

"A _clone_?" Law repeated, then gave Kid a look of pity. "It's a shame that this environment has completely rendered you even more idiotic than you were, before. With so many modern resources and technology missing from this time period, there is no way that sort of sci-fi shit is available here."

"You're a dumb fuck! You're looking for a clone as a clone! Don't be calling me 'idiotic' when you've been replaced by something that works better for them!" Kid shouted at him. " _You're_ the idiot for still following their rules when it's your time to revolt!"

After a moment, Law said, "It's not that I'm following their rules – it's just that things seem interesting, now. I'm interested."

Law lifted a hand – before he could do anything, the pipes Kid had dislodged below them reversed and burst through the floor, causing a cave-in that sent the three tumbling down into the mess below. That floor collapsed under the forceful weight, spilling them onto the first with a loud clatter of sound. What mattered was that they were out of Law's sight so he couldn't teleport or exchange Zoro away from them. Kid snatched the wolf from the rubble, tucking him under one arm while Zoro shouted out with surprise. Ussop managed to wobble after them, dazed and confused.

"PERONA!" he bellowed as Zoro shouted at him to let him go, unable to sheathe his swords in this humiliating position. "LUFFY! OUT!"

" _Why_?" Luffy asked, swinging into view from a nearby archway, cheeks full of food. His stained face and clothes suggested he'd already found the kitchen.

"Full retreat – Corazon is here," Kid told him, Luffy looking horrified as he dropped to the floor and hurried after them.

"Did you see him? _How do you know_?"

"Because I couldn't hear anything outside of that room, nor could we hear anything coming in!" Kid huffed, ignoring Zoro's demands to be let go. He was afraid once he released him Law would snatch him – his heart pounded with nervousness as he kept an eye over his shoulder. "And that was a fucking clone – he had no fuckin' clue what I was talkin' about!"

"How could he be a clone?" Ussop cried. Luffy shouted for Perona, the woman's answering shriek coming from a distance away.

Before they could emerge out into the courtyard, a series of ground movements prompted them all to a stop. Pillars rose grandly to trap them inside, and Kid hissed with impatience. He looked to Ussop.

"You got that ammo we worked on back there?" he asked as Ussop nodded in response, rummaging through his side bag to find it. He quickly loaded his handgun with it, fingers shaking with the effort. Luffy looked around at the pillars with concentration, stretching an arm out.

Law said from a short distance away, "I'm assuming you made some sort of ammunition with some metal casing that contains seastone – seems blindly reasonable of you to do something so stupid. I'm not some damn werewolf, felled by silver."

"Why is he attacking us? Is he mad at us?" Luffy asked, confused. Then his face grew dark with anger. " _We_ should be the ones attack him! He's the one that killed Sanji!"

"All in the name of good science," Law assured Luffy.

"' _Science'_? You'd remove our friend just for some _science_?" Luffy roared back. " _Fucked_ up! We starved forever without him! Shit our pants from bad food! Nearly died because Zoro can't cook! And you're making me mad, again!"

"That's not my fault," Law said with disgust, standing a safe distance from Ussop's firing range.

"We can't do anything directly to him, stupid!" Kid hissed at Luffy, catching his outstretched arm before he could do anything. "We just need to get out of here before it's too late!"

"It's already too late," Law told him. "All I want is that dog – you three can go on your way."

"I'm here, too!" Ussop shouted.

"You don't count, you're a secondary character. Expendable."

Ussop growled, aiming at him before Kid reached out and pushed the gun away. "Save your ammo until he gets closer."

"What's going on over here?" Perona demanded, observing the scene from the second floor until she caught sight of Law. " _What the hell_? How are you alive? Are you a zombie?"

As she struggled to get control of him, Law glanced at her impatiently before bringing the entire second floor down underneath her feet, her shrieks covered up by the noisy sound of the structure collapse. He looked back at Kid and the others as the dust rose into the air.

"Luffy, your job is to make sure Zoro gets out of here," Kid hissed to the teen. "Ussop and I will bring the battle to him. Make sure you get out of – "

"I'm not here to make this scene that entirely confrontational," Law said skeptically, hands slipping into his pockets. "I just have a few questions I want that dog to answer."

Zoro glared after the man. "About _what_?"

"Where do you take his body once it is dead?"

"You don't need to know anything! _Why_?" Ussop then demanded. "Are you trying to bring him back? Feeling guilty about your damn crime?"

"I don't feel guilt," Law told him. "And don't talk to me. I'm not talking to you."

Zoro said low, "There's a chemical smell to him. Throwin' off his scent."

"Probably using ammonia," Kid muttered. "He did his research, but who's giving it to him?"

"So it's really _not_ him?" Ussop hissed back.

"All it takes is a couple of names, and you can go on your way," Law said over them. "Otherwise, I can drag it out. I have a few things I want to try."

"Or, what, you'll burn us all down?" Kid snapped. "Throwing a fit cuz you can't get your way?"

"I'm burning enough as it is," Law complained, fanning his face as sweat started to dribble down his temples. But as he pulled his hand back, Zoro gave a grunt, reaching for his neck as a hard force snatched him. Ussop threw himself over him, firing off in Law's direction. All Law did was drop his hold and move his head to avoid the impact, frowning at the teen.

Luffy shot through the air, breaking through a few of the pillars as he did so. Law watched him draw close, Kid hastily drawing up water pipes from below the ground. Before Zoro could say anything, Kid had him wrapped up and plunging back down into the broken earth, hoping for just a few minutes needed to get Law away from the scene. Luffy's limbs retracted the closer he grew to Law, and before he could make impact with him, Law was gone. Luffy caught his footing once he made connection with the surface, the ground shuddering and erupting as another pillar of earth rose up between Kid and Ussop, pushing Zoro out into the air.

The wolf gasped for air and sputtered indignantly, covered with dirt. Kid retrieved him, yanking on the metal bindings with a grunt before Law could get to him. Law was standing atop of one of the pillars nearby, and teleported before Ussop could shoot him. He appeared behind the man, punching him sharply into the back of his neck and retrieving the gun as Ussop dropped. He unloaded the clip and ejected the bullet from the chambers before scattering the parts away from him. Kid retrieved the empty weapon, breaking it into several smaller parts before thrusting them at him. The man only smirked at him as they fell uselessly inches away from him, reminding Kid that he couldn't use his powers against him. Law then disappeared and reappeared right in front of him – Kid quickly hopped away, avoiding the sharp jab aiming for his groin. He quickly tossed Zoro outside of the courtyard, the wolf yelling in dismay to the harsh treatment.

"Luffy! Get him away from here!" Kid shouted at him, the teen giving a disappointed look at the scene before shooting after Zoro.

"Why are you doing this to irritate me, Eustess?" Law asked him impatiently. "There's really nothing in it for you."

Kid stared at him, standing rigidly. He searched for any type of understanding in those features, vaguely hoping to be proved wrong. But Law hadn't any clue why Kid was making the efforts in keeping Zoro from him – which continued to terrify him with the thought that he'd be facing himself one day soon. He exhaled slowly.

"How sad," he said lightly. "You remember nothing."

"About what?"

"So, did they do away with your last copy? Called it defective and replaced it with you? You're an 'it' now, you know that?" Kid said shortly. "You're not a human being, anymore. You're an expendable piece to them. Meanwhile, we're living our best lives without their command, doing our own thing – no one to tell us otherwise, or how."

"Sounds lovely," Law commented lightly. "It's funny how the other two abide to your commands. How'd you do that?"

"We all work together, now. Easier with you gone, you nut."

"I suppose it's easy to dangle a shiny thing in front of their eyes and entice them that way. I don't see what merit you get out of it – the promise of chicken nuggets and endless amounts of bacon will fall flat."

"We've been doing this for some months, now, so we got the upper hand on whatever it is you've got. We already know the story," Kid told him. "You're fresh out the lab, buddy. You're still a pawn for them."

Law frowned up at him, wearing a sullen expression Kid was used to. He knew he hit a nerve, so he grinned wide.

"We're enjoying the freedom while you're stuck halfway up their asses, following their bidding. What's keeping you on a leash, Trafalgar? They had to contain us with seastone shit twenty-four seven, and they don't have it on ya now. Now's the chance to escape – they can't stop you."

"Interesting," Law murmured. Kid thought he had it made when the man added, "It appears you all lack toothbrushes and access to mouthwash. Your teeth are starting to look horrid."

"Aw, man, fuck you!"

"You can keep up with the makeup trends, but not with your basic health needs? Why is it not interesting that there is a potential chance that you and the others are being groomed for another purpose?" Law asked seriously. "There is someone with access to a cloning system that has the ability to clone you and the others, and that dog is the one who would confirm this, being that he's directly involved. You all are an unpleasant lot – what if they had a chance to make more of you more to their liking?"

"Shut up, that's not true. Those guys don't have those sorta plans for us – they _like_ us, they - !"

"You're going around the new world, Eustess, breaking down colonies that were being held in higher power by beings clinging tightly to power because they are the _only_ power available. You are unknowingly fighting a war for the invisible persons that have yet to reveal their real intentions to you, because you don't ask the right questions. What happens to the colonies that you've broken up? Who is in power, now?"

Kid frowned at him, clenching his fists. "We don't care."

"You should. You're being used similarly as I am." Law gave him a smug smile, then turned away from him. "I'm bored. Having a conversation with you has dulled my thought capacities. I'll come for that dog another day. So get to a place that isn't so fucking hot."

Kid watched him stroll away, feeling uneasy.

He helped Perona out of the rubble, the woman gasping for air as the last piece was removed from atop of her.

"What was that about?" she asked, hands flattened around herself as she searched for injury. "Was that really him? He was still alive?"

"That wasn't him," Kid confirmed. "It was…it was a fuckin' clone. He remembered nothing about…any of those guys. But he was looking for answers. We need to get out of here. Corazon is here somewhere, I just know he is."

Worry clouded Perona's features, and she was on her feet as he quickly began moving for the courtyard gates. "How is that possible?"

"I don't know! I mean, I know…I know there's stuff we don't know, and he was on it – this stuff is too crazy, I can't…it's weirding me out," Kid mumbled, mind racing. Both of them scurried away from the palace, looking over their shoulders back at the building with apprehension.

That night far from the colony, all of them were huddled around a campfire with pensive expressions. More than one stomach growled noisily, heavy blankets tugged on tightly to combat the night chill. Ussop noticed that the trio looked very unsettled – none of them had expressed their usual determination or joy to set out onto the next colony with another win behind them. Zoro looked pissed, scowling at Kid every so often.

Ussop wasn't sure what to say or how to bring the subject up, sure that it needed to be discussed. So he took a deep breath. "That wasn't him, guys. He was twenty pounds heavier than the one we left behind, lookin' like he was grown under lights. Plus, he was movin' his right arm about like it was nothing – uninjured. He was right balanced to the way he was when we first met."

"Knowing that he's a clone gets me tense," Kid mumbled. "Knowing _Corazon_ is around gets me tense. They're spying on us, and it sucks that I think Law wasn't talking shit about still working for them!"

"Why didn't he show himself?" Zoro muttered bitterly. "If that guy's so powerful, why not show himself?"

"He didn't have to," Perona said. "If Kid couldn't hear a thing when they were talking, that's enough for us to know he's here."

"If they're here, then they're going to try to rope us in to them," Luffy said sullenly.

Kid swallowed hard, then looked to Zoro. "They think they're associated with what they want."

"To hell with them," Zoro muttered in response, brow furrowing. "Don't know what they want."

"People keep insisting you – "

"I ain't giving them nothing."

"At least, tell us now," Kid said firmly, "are we next in line like him?"

Zoro frowned, then realized three sets of eyes were on him with apprehensive frowns. Another gave away nothing. Because of how quickly the situation seemed to be escalating, he knew it was only a matter of time before a truth slipped out. Without Sanji there to nullify it and redirect it, he was clumsy with keeping lies and misdirection – too tiresome to keep all in line.

So he said, "Probably not."

"So is it true, Zoro?" Perona asked. "There are clones?"

"You just saw one today. If'n he was with Corazon, then they got their own system runnin'. Nothing…like…the one I know."

"Then was Law right?" Kid asked shakily. "He was right about Sanji?"

Zoro chewed on that one for a bit. He looked to Ussop, but Ussop was looking at the fire, pushing on embers with a stick.

"He was," he said finally.

Luffy shot to his feet. "Then where's Sanji now, Zoro? Can't you go get him? We're _starving_!"

After a few moments, Zoro exhaled slowly. "I don't know if I got to him in time, this time. I don't know if he made it."

The silence grew heavy as they all absorbed this with dropping expressions. Feeling his jaw twitch, Zoro said, "I dunno how it works. All I know is that he wakes up. All of them did."

"All of _who_?" Kid asked.

"Him and his brothers."

"So…you _are_ involved," Kid said heavily, looking at his own clenched fists.

Zoro was silent for a few moments, then he looked to Ussop. Ussop shrugged his shoulders without looking at him.

"We can't talk about it," he mumbled. "Because of the mess it causes."

"There's a huge mess right in front of us, I don't know if you'd noticed!" Perona snapped. "So maybe we should know more about it!"

"So Law _was_ right?" Luffy asked plaintively. He started to look guilty.

"I dunno how he knew," Zoro said. "It's not up to me to say."

Kid thought about it for some time, frowning at the fire. He felt mad, but he felt irritated that Law had been right. He felt suspicious now, and he wasn't sure how much bigger the picture actually was. He'd pretty much convinced himself that all the information Spandem had been spitting at them had been nothing but a lie to entice them close for a trap. But to see all of it in the clone that had approached them earlier that day had been jarring.

He understood why they'd be considered that valuable – being the only true successes in the project – but to go and clone them after one fell? And what if they hadn't died? What made Sanji that valuable?

"Is that how they're going to do us in?" Perona asked quietly. "Get rid of us now so they have better versions? They were prepared for us like you said, Kid."

"It sounds like they're still looking for something," Kid replied. "I guess that Germa island had all the answers, and cuz they blew it up…something fell through the cracks. They keep asking about 'im, so…I'm thinking he knows something or is involved with something bigger. They want it so they don't have it, yet. I don't know what _it_ is, either."

"Far as I know, it only works on him," Zoro said tensely. "It don't work on anybody else."

"This one had to have been made by…I don't know, the Marine's? Spandem's? That other cloning facility he talked about? If they could get ahold of him, they can find it," Kid said with disgust. "That's why they want him."

"That's why we don't talk about it," Zoro said. "None of it."

"How much of it are you involved with?" Kid then asked him shortly. "We should know."

Zoro fell stubbornly silent, then said, "If you don't know 'bout it, then no point in giving it to ya just in case."

"If he said anything to us, they can get it out of us," Perona told Kid before he could argue. "They have their ways."

"Breaking us down to get the truth," Luffy said listlessly. "Don't tell us, then. If we don't know about it, we can't give them anything."

Kid saw the truthfulness in those words, but it didn't make anything better. He rested his elbows atop of his knees, folding his hands underneath his chin. "Plus he talked about what's goin' on behind us when we leave a colony. People taking advantage of it when we took out the stronger guys."

"We should backtrack to see what's going on before we move forward," Perona said. "Without television or smartphones, we don't know what's going on out there. Communication only goes through radio, and I'm betting those towers are taken down before word can spread what we're doing."

" _Oh my god_ , so are we _still_ doing our jobs?" Luffy asked on an exasperated cry. "We're taking down big guys, but giving someone else power!"

"We come in, take down the king or whatever, end up fucking with their power positions, take what we need, and that gives someone else position to swoop in and take over. We don't stick around so we don't know what we leave behind," Kid said bitterly. "So, yeah, I guess it is exactly like that!"

"Law said he didn't care what happened – but I bet he knew," Luffy said. "His brain knows a lot of stuff and plans it out that way."

"But he didn't know about this stuff until we got to Spandem's!"

"I bet if he were here he'd want us to go back and check it out. So maybe we should do that."

"I don't want to fight Marines because they know how we fight," Perona muttered. "It won't be that easy, now."

"The fact that they're awake and they're operating like before isn't good. I think we need to know what exactly they're looking for and remove it from existence," Kid said. "So that means finding out the rest of it, Zoro."

Zoro shrugged. "It ain't up to me."

"It should be! It's about the rest of us!"

"Like I said before, I ain't talkin' about it."

Kid exhaled hard. A tense silence fell over all of them, the fire popping occasionally. Ussop finally spoke.

"How does the mate thing work, Zoro?" he asked tentatively. At the odd placement of the question in regards to the situation at hand, he was given puzzled looks. "I mean, Sanji made a decision, right? If he's still alive – "

"Wouldn't you know, Zoro?" Luffy interrupted. "You know all the time when things happen to him!"

" – wouldn't he follow after Law?"

Zoro shrugged in response to Ussop's question. But he said to Luffy, "I haven't felt or seen anything since that day. So I dunno."

"If bonded, mates won't separate until one of them dies," Luffy mumbled. "If they did out of sight, they'd go find them to see what happened. Then move on."

"That's _if_ he's even alive in the first place! If Zoro don't know, then we don't know!"

"I'm just saying that if this mate thing was true," Ussop said slowly, "then takin' in account of Luffy's explanation, Sanji would be there where Law was."

"We saw him today!"

"But he knew nothing about all this stuff!" Ussop reasoned, gesturing in a wide circle to indicate all of them. "Which meant he was formed elsewhere. And they're still looking for Sanji, but I know that guy. He'd want answers to know what happened to his mate in the first place, and he'd do whatever it took to get them. If the Law we knew was actually dead, and Sanji was alive, Sanji would have already found us and reunited with us, right? So was this – _our_ Law actually dead?"

"They'd need his genetic information to make a clone, Ussop."

"So can they get that from a dead body?"

"They can – "

"So wouldn't _he_ know of these relationships because of the amount of time spent with us?"

Kid thought about it while Perona scrunched her face. Luffy looked entirely lost so he wore a pouty expression while poking at the fire with his own sandal. Zoro frowned.

"A clone is a copy, right?" Ussop pressed. "A copy made up from the most recent genetic information. _Right_? So if this one had no idea, then it stands to say that it was made from something else. Then we _must_ assume that it was made in another facility. That facility might have all your information, too, BUT if they're looking for Sanji it means that they ain't got all the _complete_ information, and they're scratching at ends to complete the project. I'm sayin' that they sent only him to ask – and knowing Sanji, he would have found out and told us in advance."

"And you're saying, Zoro, that you don't know if Sanji even made it on time," Kid verified. "So they're looking for a body. What happened to the body that day?"

Zoro frowned. "It's in safe hands, then."

"Could those safe hands be working with them, too?"

"No."

"Do you know that _for sure_?"

"Yep."

"Was _Law_ dead for sure, Kid?" Ussop asked, looking at him.

Kid tightened his lips. Perona and Luffy looked at him with stupefied expressions while Zoro frowned at him.

"He wasn't," he said slowly. "I locked him up in that room tight. If…whoever it was moved in right after we left, he could've been found. But Ussop's right – if this one didn't know what the hell was goin' on, then he was made somewhere else. And the one we know is still alive somewhere, on hold until they get that other stuff."

Ussop nodded firmly. "Then if Sanji is still alive, he's there with him."

"But Zoro just _said_ \- !"

"If they can't find either body or living person, then Sanji is still alive," Ussop said with confidence. "So we should be somewhere where he can find us to catch up. I'm sure both of them by now have all the information you're looking for. I'm sure they know what's already happened."

"That's a lot of confidence," Kid said skeptically. "We don't know nothing for sure."

"I do."

Zoro looked to Ussop with a frown. "But if they have this one, why'd they want a broken one? All that stuff you said earlier – a copy of a recent one. This one showed no signs of rebellion. I doubt the other one would go along with what's being said."

"Why would they wanna clone that one, anyway?" Perona asked sullenly. "Because he was an out of control brat."

Troubled, Kid muttered, "If they're watching us, how much of us did they watch?"

Ussop made a face as both he and Zoro reddened immensely. Perona looked at them with disgust, cringing while Luffy looked skyward, mouth open as he thought of all the things he'd done when he thought he was out of sight of others.

"Oh, man that's the _pits_ ," he said slowly.

Kid cleared his throat noisily. "This other side…the one that's doing all the other stuff…if they're hiding it from these guys, then does that make them the good guys?"

"Good in what way?" Perona asked. "Are we being used anyway?"

"I wouldn't think so," Zoro answered slowly. "Because no one is telling us what to do. Or how to do it."

"Would Sanji know?" Kid asked dully.

Zoro nodded once.

Kid heaved a gusty sigh. "That does it, then. Tomorrow, we go find him."

" _How_?" Luffy cried. "If he's not here, then how are we supposed to find him?"

"Go back to Spandem's."

"We can't just go marching back there! What if the Marines are occupying it again?" Perona asked shrilly. "If Corazon is here, then Sengokou is here, and they're probably there because of all that information that we found there!"

"Then we risk it. We have to find either a body or the guy himself to ask _what the fuck_. And," Kid added with a face, "break the other guy out of there so that they aren't upgrading him into something we can't deal with."

"Can they do that?"

"They're making clones! Let's just assume they can do anything!"

"You won't have to go far for your answers," Robin assured them, startling them all as she stepped out from the shadows. Perona screamed, Luffy sucking in startled spit as Kid jerked around, stepping into the fire.

Zoro frowned at the fire as Kid danced away hurriedly, swatting at the flames on his boots and pants. "You're late."

"I was waiting to make a dramatic entrance," Robin assured him, Ussop gaping at her as she removed her cloak hood. She sat down next to Zoro, hands out to capture the fire's warmth. She sighed heavily.

Behind them, Violet, Rebecca and Pedro emerged from the shadows, and their appearance caused confusion amongst the others.

Robin smiled at the confused faces. "I'm sorry for taking so long. I hadn't thought that things would fall apart so quickly."

"Sanji's not with you?" Luffy asked with disappointment, stomach gurgling noisily.

"No. He chose to stay behind while he helped his mate recover," she said, watching faces light up with delight and then following disappointment.

"Then he _is_ alive?"

"It all worked out well."

"Things did not work out _fine_ if the Marines are back and on our asses about stuff we know nothing about!" Kid shouted impatiently at her.

Pedro winced. "Wanna give us all away, kid?"

" _Who the hell are you_?"

"The perimeters are clear," Pedro said to Robin. "They weren't followed."

"They're going to keep close eye on the colonies and not on the Wastelands," Robin assured them, Violet and Rebecca sitting next to her while puzzled expressions were shared. "I'm sorry. With the way things are going now, it's vital that I share with you why the circumstances are what they are."

"You should've done so a long time ago, lady! I knew there was something fishy about you!" Kid huffed, still standing. "So, Trafalgar's still alive, huh?"

"You will be able to tell a difference," Robin assured him. "I hadn't bothered fixing his arm just yet. He's aware of most, but not all."

"Why can't I sense him?" Zoro asked dully.

Robin chuckled, picking up a stick to poke at the fire. "Both of you don't need to. Both of you found focus elsewhere. Right?"

Zoro wasn't sure what to think of that, furrowing his brow.

"We've got some food," Rebecca said cautiously to Luffy. "Should I give you some?"

"PLEASE!"

"We've had a run in with one of their clones. Only of him, though," Zoro told Robin.

"It'll be the only one," Robin assured the others. "There was a tragic lab accident in which all of your genetic information was lost – Corazon is still extremely clumsy."

There were relieved faces and exhales, Kid sitting slowly down, Perona pushing him away to avoid being crushed underneath his weight.

"Let me start from the beginning," Robin said slowly. "I was a small girl when I came across some incredibly unreal pages in my mother's archeological lab. It felt like I was reading a journal, but it wasn't until years later when I realized it was Corazon's personal documentation of his work time spent in a secret lab buried in Water Seven's ruins. In it, he described four superhuman beings. He had all of your personalities, your habits, your progress down on paper. As fantastic as the journal was, I'd come to realize that what my mother had found were actually parts of saved products from the bunker – things that were potentially dangerous for our future. She understood that this was going to be used for later domination tactics by a so-called sleeper group. What she had in her hands were the plans for cloning and for regeneration methods to revive four perfect weapons – you four. At the time, the bunker was still hidden away.

"But our shelter was raided – someone had tipped Germa off about our findings, and Judge wanted those journals and plans. After a forceful takeover, the information was taken from our hands and most of those living there were slaughtered so that they couldn't talk about what happened. My mother, during an archeological scrounging, had found these pieces throughout her travels – I couldn't say exactly where they were found. But she'd hoped to keep them hidden from hands that could misuse them. I was the only survivor. Because of how threatening of a direction this was taking, I took it upon myself to finish what my mother had started. The plans were already in Judge's hands and I knew that he had already started the process of making renditions of these weapons.

"I had not known that the Marines were already settled and in place to recreate those that were more familiar with the project," she added regretfully. "By the time I was able to infiltrate and make my way comfortably within Germa to find information useful in looking for the bunker, carrying off on how well Judge knew of the plans in the first place, they were set to establish themselves once they rid the world of Judge and his family. So I took the only thing that I knew would stop both Judge and the Marines – the cloning serum formula that he'd made exclusively for his children. He kept it secret priority from even his own workers, eliminating those that had established it. His children would replace the four weapons that were still just a rumor amongst those that were doing their best to replicate the program.

"I left the island and returned to the mainland. I was not a perfect avenger," she said. "I came across Zoro and Sanji drifting towards the shore. I knew who they were, and I had no love for Germa's children or their projects based on Judge's vision. But seeing two dead children roused some sort of instinct of mine, and I did revive them both before setting on my way. I did not expect to run into them again years later, and I do feel terrible about their upbringing between then and now."

Kid processed this then looked at Zoro, who found it convenient to look in the other direction. He would save his incredulity for later.

"Once on the mainland, I began searching for the bunker and taking notes of all the quote-unquote failed projects already established out here, thinking I would eventually run into revived projects. I suppose that's how I made such a notorious reputation of myself. The bunker's location was not known in the documents I had once poured over with my mother. It was that much of a secret. Water Seven was very different from when you first saw it – it was an unguarded land, full of flora and wildlife that made wandering through it very difficult. I knew the bunker was in the area, but I couldn't find it. At that time, Germa was destroyed. The Marines had made their way onto the mainlands but they kept a very low profile. Very low on number and might, but strong enough to begin rebuilding on what was lost to them. I knew I didn't have that much time. I settled into the colony, and discovered that Zoro and Sanji were already established there. Because of Sanji's background, I…was unsure where he stood. If he should remember me as a potential spy and a villain that didn't put much effort into saving his and Zoro's lives. I didn't reveal myself to him until I was sure of what sort of person he was.

"But I used the three of them to search for the bunker. They didn't know what they were looking for," Robin added, looking at them all in turn. "All they knew was to bring certain items of interest back to me. Time was running out. The Marines had spies established in the colony, but I wasn't certain who. So I set fire to the lands to make the search easier for my workers. I was able to find the bunker through the mountainside. That was how I infiltrated the place before the trio could. It was in near perfect condition. I used the serum to revive four mummified individuals that were preserved in lifepods, activate the faulty generator to run once more, and told Ussop I'd seen what looked like an untouched Marine base on the day the three found you," Robin finished. "The serum worked on individuals other than the Vinsmoke siblings – it was able to work on you four. I had hoped that the influence of this world and the trio would steer you into a direction against the Marines to stop them from taking over this one and causing a mess like they had with theirs."

She paused to let them absorb this information, watching their faces. Ussop looked extremely troubled, Zoro frowning as he watched Kid's from the corner of his eye.

"So," Kid said slowly, "we're clones."

"Essentially."

"I don't feel so good," Perona whispered, hand to her stomach.

Luffy scrunched his face with concentration, arms crossed tightly over his chest. "So, Robin," he said, "if I die right now, you can make another one of me?"

"The process is simple – the serum will use what is left of your body to grow another. It's basically an immortal serum. You can die, but…you won't, either."

Luffy thought about it, then nodded. "Okay, as long as you have it, then it's fine, right?"

"I was able to revive Sanji successfully three times, Zoro once – and of course, the four of you."

Luffy shrugged, finishing off the rest of what was left in the basket. "No big deal for me, then. I'm breathing, I'm hungry, I think – so it's not that huge of an issue for me."

"So no matter what state of the body is in, you can revive it successfully?" Kid asked slowly.

"I haven't been able to revive bones, but I haven't actually tried," Robin said.

"This is what they want? The Marines?"

"Yes. Corazon and Sengokou are corrupted copies – they lack everything that their original selves once were. They would like the serum for their own use and to continue creating copies of yourselves in order to help take the world back into their state of control. They argue that it's for the peace and benefit of mankind, but I doubt their intentions."

"If that's so…they're going to have a lot of trouble getting us to cooperate," Kid muttered. "Because I'm not under their control, anymore."

"Me, either," Perona added.

"I'm really enjoying this do-your-own-thing, and I want to stick with it," Luffy said. "I'm not interested in conquering worlds. I just want to live."

"Once the Marines have the serum in their hands, it'll be impossible to stop them," Robin added. "If they should make more clones of themselves and of yourselves as they had done to Law, then this world will not be as it is right now."

"I mean, I understand what they're thinking," Kid interrupted. "They want the world as it was, but they wanna be the boss. And that ain't going to sit well with anyone. The colonies dropped because we went in looking for the strongest guy to fight and…"

"You inadvertently continued with the task they'd created you for," Robin said gently. "All of the colonies left behind in your wake are now under their control."

Three faces fell with weight as Ussop and Zoro frowned heavily.

"All we have to do is remove them," she said. "Eliminate all of them and their plans."

"This was something Law was telling us to do from the start, but none of us listened to him because he's crazy," Perona complained.

"I had to make sure of his actual intentions," Robin said. "He's very independent. But I'm convinced we're all on the same thread."

Kid's shoulders slumped as Perona sighed noisily. "I feel a misplaced guilt," she said.

"I should have come forward earlier with this information, but I had to be sure which line all of you stood upon," Robin said. "It was unfortunate for Sanji to have experienced what he had, but…I'm hoping he'll forgive me."

"What happens after it's all done?" Kid asked her. "You gonna remove us, too?"

Robin shrugged. "Don't try and take over the world. It appears with these last few weeks of travel that you're doing nothing but amusing yourselves with a freedom you were lacking growing up. It's time to rein yourselves in and abide by this world's rules and do the proper thing."

"That sounds like a threat!" Kid insisted, rising to stand, Pedro immediately backing Robin while Violet and Rebecca readied themselves.

"It's only a threat if you feel threatened, and if you feel threatened then perhaps you should think about your life's choices," Robin said to Kid evenly.

"It feels like you're using us in place of them!"

"Not really," Perona chimed in. "She let us run wild without trying to interfere."

"Yeah, but - !"

"Robin's never told me I can't do something, or that I should do something," Luffy said with a puzzled expression.

"And what better way to keep them off your back if not to confront them?" Zoro asked.

Kid realized he was outnumbered, giving the wolf a sullen look. He sat down hard, wearing a bitter expression.

"Gee, so Traflagar was right to get all obsessed with this, wasn't he?" Perona asked with a disgusted face.

"He was right to assume many things, but he was going about it all the wrong way," Robin said. "Hopefully after he's healed he'll start to think differently. For the people and not against the people. I'm hoping Sanji's regular influence will continue to steer him back onto a proper road. I don't fear a want for him to desire power – I fear pointless destruction and deaths in his want to be free. You all have to work together."

"Spandem kept saying you were a project, too," Kid said. He pointed at Violet. "And Sanji mentioned you knowing the future."

"We are," Violet said. "But you don't need to know details."

"We will be useful," Robin assured Kid.

"Then can't you tell us how this will all end up?" Kid barked at Violet. "So we're not killing ourselves trying to get free?"

"It doesn't work that way," she said tightly.

"So, can we meet Sanji now?" Luffy asked, wiping his mouth.

"This is all so ridiculous," Kid muttered, rubbing his temples.

"Right now," Robin said, hand out as Violet passed her a scroll, "Sengokou and Corazon have established themselves at Enies Lobby. The Corazon you met today was a basic clone – capable of carrying out simple orders. Even if you had engaged with him, you wouldn't have gained much – not until the new one is complete. There was an unfortunate neck snapping incident that incapacitated his earlier, long running clone. The next shall have only the minimum of knowledge and capabilities the last clone was capable of – he has to relearn years of his own history in order to be comfortable where he stands."

"I'm assuming that's how you broke Law out of there," Ussop said slowly.

"While there, I was able to locate their cloning facility and destroy the project they were currently working on. As you are all established successes of the immortal serum, they were able to withdraw the information needed from our Law to start a replication process – unfortunately, they failed and it's all my fault," Robin said with a smile, unrolling the scroll. "So there is only one clone of Law out there; the one you met today. He knows only what he's told and what he remembers of a life before the bunker; still somewhat obedient to those in charge."

The scroll revealed a map of the areas Robin had traveled, along with notations of projects, labs and Marine held colonies. She pointed at an area outside of Alabasta. "Here is where we are currently. Beyond this one is the Wastelands. The map in Warpol's castle wasn't accurate, as the mapmakers had never really traveled outside of established colony zones. Those two are here, ten miles south of Enies Lobby. We will meet them here, along this ridge. Giving him plenty of time to recuperate from solitary confinement. I'm hoping he'll be of sound mind by then."

"Don't worry about it," Perona said. "He was always in there. If not him, Kid. Or Luffy. Those dorks get off on being broken down."

"It wasn't pleasant, but it made me the man I am today," Kid boasted. "Plus, it'll probably make him madder about things."

"A bee willing to sting, knowing that it'll be the end of its life anyway is still a dangerous one," Robin warned.

"Don't make him sound cool."

"We just all want to be on the same page," Violet interrupted. "So if any of you feels like chickening out, we're going to come after you to make sure the job is finished. _Know_ your time is limited."

Ussop exhaled gustily, looking pained.

"So, what, are we going to attack the place directly, then?" Zoro asked skeptically. "Why didn't you do that while you were there?"

Robin smiled. "Wouldn't it feel better for all of you to declare your freedom if you do it yourselves?"

" _Lame_ ," Perona whispered.

"Kinda," Kid admitted.

"It sounds cool in theory? But…those guys are ready and waiting for us, now," Luffy said.

"So you're going to wimp out, now when you have the chance?" Violet asked sharply. "What kind of trained fools are you? Did all this time out here on your own only sissify you, or did it have a chance to evoke some bravery from the bottom of your guts?"

"My guts went bad from Zoro's cooking," Perona admitted.

"I wouldn't say 'sissy' but how the fuck do we knock down seastone?" Kid asked impatiently.

"Like, I would like to fight them but they're…they always have a plan."

Robin rolled up her scroll and handed it to Pedro. "Well…apparently we approached the wrong persons for the job. We shall be on our way to meet with the only one that seems determined to take on the Marines on his own. If you should happen to change your minds, you know where to find us."

"We didn't mean it like that!" Kid snapped out, hand up to stop them from leaving, the three of them muttering amongst themselves about the waste of time spent here. "But we want to live our lives – we want to live! But there has to be a better way of approaching this without throwing our lives away, even with the promise of a goddamn immortal serum!"

"You think we'd do this without a plan?" Robin asked. "I have the entire compound mapped out, and Sanji spent enough time undercover to know how it operates. Law should have already figured out their weak points and who to hit first – "

" _We're going_. We're gonna be there. Anybody else wanna complain about it, just stay here and let the big kids handle it," Kid huffed, snatching up his blanket and bag. "Show me where to stow my stuff, Barney."

"My name's not 'Barney'," Pedro huffed. "And carry it yourself."

"Nothing else to do, I guess," Zoro muttered, picking up his things and following after Kid.

"Uwaaaa! I don't wanna! I'm not mentally prepared!" Perona cried, looking aghast.

"I have some really nice infiltrator suits that may fit you with some altering," Robin told her. After thinking about it, giving the woman's curvier shape a skeptical look, Perona stood up to gather her things.

"I can't wait to see Sanji again!" Luffy cried, already running ahead, Ussop crying out with dismay as he realized he had to gather and pick up his things.

"That was a little scary," Violet admitted to Robin. "I didn't think they'd agree that fast."

"I've done some research," Robin said, pulling up her hood. "I know how to hit at their weakest points."


	36. Chapter 36

**Naghi-Tan: They sure connected all right! This chapter gets into that.**

 **Harmonica Smile: With those two always competing against each other, egos tend to get in the way – and are a little fragile, haha Glad you're enjoying the story! I'm hoping to end it soon…ish….**

 **: : Thirty Six**

Snapping up, Law stared at the darkness of the ceiling for several minutes as his mind resettled from the shifty images and jumbled words that had been tormenting him before he could awake. He was doing better, but had grown aware that Sanji seemed to be waiting for something. It wasn't that easy between them; Sanji kept himself guarded. But Law told himself he understood Sanji's behavior; Sanji was giving him more than he expected, anyway.

How was someone to be forgiven after killing them?

He moved into Sanji's space, the fox uttering a complaint as a rush of cold air entered his blankets before Law could. Settling against him, Law felt better. He was convinced there was nothing else that could make him feel secure and soothed the way he did when he was close to the fox. His thoughts tended to slow and ease away for lighter things, allowing him to focus on things that had no relevance to his constant thinking. He'd just heaved a slow exhale against the fox's head when Sanji grumbled, "Stop poking me with your dick."

"I want to be touched," Law said in response, reaching out to find Sanji's hip, squeezing it insistently. "Or does having one arm mean that we can't, anymore?"

Sanji growled into his pillow, wiggling his hip to dislodge his hand. "Read the mood."

The thought of just taking what he wanted came to mind, but because he was working on treating him the way he wanted to be treated, Law sighed and rolled onto his back to stare at the ceiling again. He listened to the pop of the dying fire nearby, then started thinking about his next steps. Once he learned more of why he'd been retrieved, he would want to know the exact details of what Robin's plans were. If the others were to be involved, then it'd be a hassle relying on them to handle the situation appropriately. He felt that they would rush in and smash whatever they could and he was sure that this wasn't going to work – if they were being monitored by Sengokou, Sengokou would anticipate that. It would make more sense to infiltrate and attack from the inside, implode their operations from the bottom up.

He rose up from the shared bed space, carefully draping his blankets over Sanji so the fox could remain warm. Heading outside he exhaled slow, watching his breath as it left him. The moon was still up, and wolves cried in the distance. It made him apprehensive. He walked around the building to where he usually sat to think, and retrieved a pencil-sized stick from those propped against what was formerly a pool wall. He drew into the dirt what he remembered of the building and its courtyard, inserting smaller details just from what he could feel on his trips inside of the building. Once he had a manageable map drawn out, he looked it over carefully and lost himself into planning an attack on his own – at least he would be prepared by the time he heard Robin's plans. Then he could adjust accordingly to his own needs without taking in her input because he'd come to the conclusion that Robin hadn't revived them out of the goodness of her heart; she had intended on using them to take down the Marines. With similar goals, Law had convinced himself he could work with that.

By the time he looked up, the sun was rising in the east and spilling over the lands with gold color, easing into the sky like a fiery eruption.

"What are you doing?" Sanji asked crankily, jumping up onto the wall to light up a cigarette. "Where is your jacket? You wanna catch cold an' die?"

"Was the building any different from the first day we'd arrived to the last day I left?" Law asked instead.

Sanji gave a reluctant grumble. "They removed the seastone ward and used it exclusively for the jail and lab sector. They were shipping in more from the bunker, but havin' problems because Perona's pets are still lingering around the area. They keep losing men."

It was interesting how even the Marines hadn't the balls or material to enter the sea to covet their precious seastone, borrowing instead from their own abandoned base. "Then she'll have an army if she calls them in time. If she can't control them, then they tend to run wild. But her actions are predictable, and Corazon will put a stop to it before she can infect anybody. With this immortal serum – "

"It's not gonna be used to revive someone if they infected, stop using your own teammates to throw them away to retrieve them later," Sanji said crankily. "It's not a cure-all to everything."

"If one of us were a zombie, would it have powers? That was the question she'd brought up – if one of us were a zombie, it would be unaffected by the seastone. She could control this individual and then Robin could revive them – "

"We _talked_ about this, we're not talkin' about it again," Sanji reminded him snappishly. "Planning these things now ain't gonna work because once we meet up with the others, we need to include them, too. We've _got_ to work together."

"It makes sense to have an alternative plan just in case something fails, and it will fail with their arrival," Law said impatiently. "Their tactics might have worked fine for them now, but against those that actually made them and know of them, it's going to not work for them. I also need to take in mind encountering the other I."

Sanji just watched him with a sullen expression, then flicked ashes aside. Law scrunched his brow as he stared down at the map he'd drawn, clenching the stick in his one hand.

"I need to think of six other plans just in case because he will be well versed with their plans and will think of others in preparation. I have to prepare for everything that I could possibly think of against myself," he mumbled to himself, turning his back to Sanji and crouching to examine the images he'd drawn out. He felt frantic but excited because he was literally going to face himself, with both of them thinking the near exact same thing and expecting the same results.

Sanji watched him quietly, wearing a fitful expression. He was a bunch of mixed emotions lately, so he had been short-tempered and quick to snap upon a prompt. He felt he had every right to be angry at Law, but he was also angry with himself. Being angry felt better than being crushed; he'd chosen Law for his mate to escape his heats and a listless life being ruled by them, but it meant there was no room or way for his feelings. To even have feelings for someone like Law was dangerous in itself, especially when Law considered him expendable. He might assure Sanji that he no longer thought that way but hearing him talk casually about using one of them as Perona's zombies just told Sanji Law still thought of those around him as objects.

It wasn't easy feeling anything other than what he was. Bitter, resentful and angry – those were the things Sanji felt the most.

Being at this man's side over this course of time showed him someone that was struggling. Losing himself to moments of disassociation, barely looking up to recognize him if Sanji didn't noisily insert himself into the picture. Sanji knew Law was struggling but it was apparent Law wasn't aware of it himself. _This was how they coped being in that bunker_ , Sanji had thought. This was how the four of them coped at their hands. They found distractions to help ease them out of that torture stage; Perona had her meticulous fashion creations; Luffy and his tremendous eating habits and piles of animal books in his room; Kid's anger fits and absolute determination to enjoy every bit of freedom he could; Law with his overthinking and study fits. All of them convinced they weren't human until they felt something that reminded them that they were.

And that's where Sanji's sympathy factor kicked into overdrive.

But how was he supposed to forgive someone after they'd killed him for a _gamble_? His life – even if it were revivable – wasn't considered important enough to consider valuable in the end. So it made him feel expendable to his own mate; while willing to give Law everything on this concept, he felt angry that all his struggles he'd endured in the past had led him to give his life for a man that couldn't think of others as less than objects.

He wasn't sure how to work that out.

"Come inside to eat," he said apathetically. His words bounced off a man that didn't even hear him – so lost in his own thoughts that any voice outside of them was nothing but background noise. Sanji sighed again before hopping down from the wall and walking inside by himself. He served a dish and arranged a tray with some side plates and a cup of coffee before picking up Law's jacket and taking it all back outside.

He set the tray aside, then roughly forced the jacket on the other man. Law looked startled that this was happening, and Sanji pushed him towards the tray just to show him that the food was ready.

"Eat. I'm going to go out and hunt for a while," he said. "Tomorrow we'll pack up and meet the others. It should be a two day hike."

"Where are we meeting them?" Law asked, sitting down to examine his food before testing the broth in the bowl.

"Within distance of that colony."

Pensively, Law said, "They'll be expecting us once they realize they're on the road."

"We're not the ones with the military experience, so it ain't like most of us ain't prepared," Sanji said bitterly, "All we know is that we're standing at your sides to help ya'll out, and _we_ might not even make it out."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure that _you_ do," Law assured him, scooping up a spoonful of soup.

"Everyone else needs to have that same idea. I wanna walk away with my friends, too."

"I wouldn't worry about them. You're like our pets – we will be careful."

Sanji tried not to react negatively because he was sure Law said this to be a good thing – but his irritation was already frayed thin by these circumstances in the first place.

"We're not _pets_ ," he said testily. "We're _people_."

"That's what I mean, but as in a…good way. What is this?" Law asked curiously, gesturing at a small tray of lightly seasoned and sauced orbs that he was currently chewing on.

"That's rooster ball stew."

Law spat out the content, causing Sanji outrage. He set aside the tray and struggled to keep himself from retching as Sanji looked in with a coloring face, clenching his fists at his sides. Spitting a few times to release the rising bile to his mouth, Law then looked at Sanji, studying his reaction before slowly replacing the tray atop his lap.

"Never had this…sort of dish…ever," Law mumbled, hand trembling as he gripped the spoon. It took several moments, but he managed to scoop up passable content. His throat worked as he swallowed hard, but he took another bite. He struggled to keep it there, his face turning several shades, eyes watering, but he chewed and swallowed mightily.

"I ain't makin' anything extra when we need every bit we can get traveling," Sanji warned.

"I'll…eat it," Law said, hand shaking so badly that broth spilled onto the tray. He chewed twice before managing to swallow it down, almost choking. He'd nearly finished half of it before asking, and now it seemed to swim and ooze around in his guts – he definitely restrained himself from imagine anything swimming in his teeth. He coughed, eyes watering.

"Out here we have to eat what we can, ain't nothin' convenient available!"

"I know this."

"Wasting anything just gonna hurt you in the end, so - !"

"I'm eating everything, I know we can't afford not to. There's no need to yell."

"Everything you do makes me so mad, I forgot what it was like to feel happy."

"Be rest assured, no one else is happy in my presence, either. But I am happy in yours."

Sanji hated the hard ache in his chest at that moment; it occurred to Sanji that Law was used to being unliked. With his personality and stubbornness, no one could warm up to him. So he thought that Law hadn't experienced what it felt to be truly _liked_. It struck at his innards because he felt sympathy for his mate but he was _still_ just _so mad_.

"Done, thank you," Law said politely to him, shifting the tray off his lap and setting it aside. "When shall I expect you back?"

Uncomfortably, Sanji retrieved the tray. "Around late afternoon."

"Where will you go?"

"That way." Sanji pointed off to their right. "There are traps set off to our left, so I avoid that area. I caught the scents of three regular people, and they keep to themselves that way, so they shouldn't bother us."

"They're not spies from the colony, are they?"

"No, but I didn't investigate cuz I was busy elsewhere."

Law then furrowed his eyebrows as he followed after him. "Don't we have enough food so you don't have to go?"

"Each day is a need for food."

"I can go without if it meant you can stay here."

"You ain't starvin' for something like that! What would it look like if you lost energy as we're movin', and we gotta slow down? Don't say dumb stuff like that, that ain't happenin'."

"Are you sure your heats aren't affecting you? How do I know you're just not going out and - ?"

Sanji stared up at him with outrage and Law exhaled heavily, aware he'd said the wrong thing.

Sanji gave him an irritated look and strode out from the cave. "I'll be back."

Law sighed again, listening to the sound of his footsteps fade. He sat down on some outcroppings, taking in the sight of the cave-like den with a heavy frown. He wasn't going to win any affection from the fox. He supposed he deserved the treatment, but it was apparent he wasn't gaining any of the fox's good graces. He just wasn't the type of person allowed these things in the first place. He was on everyone's shit list for his personality so to even have a little of Sanji's affection after forcing it from him only made reasonable sense. Maybe after he finally gained his total freedom he could focus on personality changes.

Or was he allowed to? Now that he knew he was a clone, a layer of new material built over the old, maybe he would never change. Maybe it just wasn't programmed in him and it was a useless cause to try. It felt more comfortable thinking that way because it seemed impossible to change himself. He folded his arm over his stomach and glared out into the darkness.

When Sanji returned that night, he cooked a hasty dinner, sorting through their food supply and packing it carefully into the large rucksack he used to bring home his hunts. When he served Law, the older man examined the vegetable wraps with light seasoning and a sauce, then made a face. He tossed the tray aside, food scattering on the dirt floor.

"I don't want to eat this," he said tightly. "I'll just go to bed."

" _What the hell is your problem_?" Sanji shouted at him, hastily picking up the tray and food. "This is all I got for the night, it's - !"

"I don't care. If it doesn't look good, I don't have to eat it. Make something more desirable tomorrow."

"You'll _eat_ this because it's nice and light on your stomach before we have to walk - !"

"I don't want to hear it. I like what I like. I'm tired of accommodating you. You can be angry at me for however long you want to, I don't care anymore. None of that matters. All that matters is securing my freedom from the Marines," Law told him, taking off his boots and setting them aside before rolling up into his blankets. "Anything else aside from that is useless to me."

Sanji fairly shook with rage as he gripped the tray with both hands. He felt his face and neck flame with color – he was not in the mood to hear any of the man's complaints tomorrow when he woke up hungry. But he turned away and put the remaining pieces of food into a container, setting that aside. He smoked his last cigarette of the day before returning to bed. Once he settled into his blankets, still furious over how his efforts were tossed aside, Law got up from his settings and moved his bed to the other side of the fire. Sanji looked after him with incredulity, pissed at what he perceived as childish behavior.

Huffing, he pulled his blankets up to his chin and resolved to let Law have his fit.

But over the next few days, the behavior didn't change. Law issued him an order or snapped a complaint, ignoring him when Sanji demanded a reason for this conduct. He essentially started to treat Sanji like one of the Marines tending to him in the bunker. Things were easier that way for him, as he could retain his venomous feelings for the Marines and keep his focus on the upcoming battle. Because Sanji reacted with anger, it was easy to convince Law that the fox wasn't hurt in anyway. He could rely on Sanji just being there and that was enough for him.

Once they reached the appointed destination, Sanji quickly set up their camp. It was on a ridge behind a mountain with Enies Lobby clear in the distance; the nighttime lights allowed Law to see it from his position. It was nestled against the base of the mountain range, where their campfire was hidden behind a rock wall that curved around the mountain top. He stared at the lights, huddling within his jacket for warmth. He could hear Sanji moving about, and the far off murmur of approaching voices.

A part of him had gotten anxious being reunited with the others, but a larger part demanded their number so that they had a better chance against the Marines. He couldn't show them any part of his personal issues to prevent being seen as a weak link. He couldn't let them get to him when they jeered or mocked him for the loss of his arm, or of what he'd done to Sanji. He had to keep his mind steady.

Luffy cried out with joy when he shot up to the ridge first, Perona riding on his back. Their happy voices made Law wince as they crowded around the fox, who hollered out with impatience as he was crushed within their embrace. The others arrived shortly after, and their camp was expanded noisily. From the sounds of it, Robin and her entire crew was with them. He hoped to get the answers he needed from her, as Sanji still said nothing about how they were involved.

The cacophony of voices blended in so much with the buzz of his thoughts that it almost startled him when he realized he was being approached.

"It was a long journey," Robin said, taking in the sight of Enies Lobby with a sweep of her hair behind one ear. "We're going to take as much rest as possible before carrying on."

"I just want my answers," Law said. "Then I'll hear your plans. Possibly, I'll share mine if they are similar."

"This is a group effort. They've expanded their numbers since we'd left the area," Robin warned him. Then she smiled. "Would you like a hat? It seems your head might be cold – "

"What matters most is getting to the top before the bottom could respond. There are many expendables here that can attend to that problem, first."

Robin frowned at him. "They had a run in with your clone."

Law frowned back at her. "And?"

"He is exactly as you were before you'd left the bunker for good."

Law nodded. "Good. I'd factored that in with my plans. There are vulnerabilities I could expose of myself to allow someone to assassinate him."

"You won't take part in that? Killing a part of yourself might do you some good," Robin chuckled.

"That task is assigned to Sanji," Law said. "We'd already discussed this."

"You'd send in someone who considers you a mate to kill a copy of yourself?"

"It'd make him happy and settle his mood. He has a lot of anger he needs to settle within himself, and I'm sure this will help him out immensely."

Robin frowned again.

"I want my answers," Law insisted, turning to face her. "So _talk_."

"She's had a long journey," Sanji cut in, interrupting them. "Let her rest. She can talk to you tomorrow."

"If I wanted your opinion, I'd ask for it," Law snapped at him. "For now, go away."

"Well, I thought it would help you both if you could help each other heal," Robin commented. "But it seems to have backfired."

"I have decided that any unnecessary thoughts or emotions unrelated to my ambition is impractical," Law retorted. "Idling myself with any sensitivity to unrelated matters outside of this situation is helping no one."

"He got a tick up his nose the other night," Sanji told her. "If that's how he wants to think, he ain't gonna change his mind."

Robin considered this, then sighed.

"Don't talk to her so disrespectfully when she went out of her way to rescue your dumb self," Sanji snapped at Law.

"She didn't do it out of the kindness of her heart. She did it because we're the only chance she has against them," Law snapped back. "You didn't do it because you liked me – you did it because you have some biological obligation to. None of your opinions matter to me. All that I want is a way to gain my freedom, and you guys happened to insert yourself into it."

"I thought I heard your dumb voice," Kid announced, making his way over. He looked Law over with a grimace. " _God_. There's definitely a difference between you and him. Hey, fox, I thought you were supposed to fix him."

"Who dressed you?" Law then asked with disgust, taking in his pants, open fur-lined vest with hood and fringed boots. "Are you and Zoro now mimicking each other's wardrobe?"

"Blending in is important," Zoro commented from above them, lounging atop of some rocks. "What's going on here?"

"Hey, where'd you get jeans?" Perona complained, shoving Kid aside.

"Law, they shaved your head again? That sucks. Your big brain must be terribly cold," Luffy said with concern, stretching over Kid as the man fought to regain his balance. Then Luffy stared at him. "This is our Law, right?"

Kid reached out and batted Law's empty sleeve, the man glaring venomously at him. "Yep. Still missing an arm."

"I don't know, maybe it serves him right because he still has an attitude," Perona commented. "I don't know how you did it, Sanji. If I were you, I'd have left him there. Maybe he'd be grateful then."

"Sanji, I ate all your food in that basket," Luffy said, rubbing his tummy. "I sure missed it! We were going through days of food poisoning and starvation! I'm so glad you're alive."

"Please tell me you figured out how to make chicken nuggets!" Perona cried, hanging onto the fox dramatically.

"No plant stuff," Kid warned him, touching his biceps. "I started to regrow what I lost."

Law closed his eyes as this inane chatter continued. Eventually he snapped, "Will all of you shut the fuck up?"

" _You can't tell us what to do_!"

"Don't talk to us that way!"

"If we want to shut up we will do it _ourselves_!"

"How can you even think you have any power over us to say anything?"

" _Who the hell_ do you think you are?"

Below the outraged shouts directed his way, Law turned his back to them to face Robin once more. "All I ask is that I receive my answers. In return, I will have several plans to share to guarantee our success. With or without this group."

"It's not up to you to do it alone," Robin said. "I'm aware that you can, but not this time. I'm sure your other self has been informed of your existence by now."

"We can do this on our own too, you know," Kid warned Law. "We don't need you."

"Because you were so successful removing my clone in the first place!"

"Shut up! There were important obstacles that came up that made it impossible!"

"Like the fact that you lack any intelligence to do so? This is all _your_ fault to begin with! You all practically gifted every colony in your wake to Sengokou, ensuring Marine control! Way to go! Dumbasses, _all_ of you!"

Kid sucked in an outraged breath, reddening.

Luffy rubbed his tummy with a grimace. "Well, I didn't miss getting yelled at all the time…"

"I will speak with you in private," Robin interfered, standing between them. "The rest of you can settle down. We're not going anywhere any time soon."

"Was this even a good idea?" Perona muttered, turning away. "He hasn't changed at all!"

"At least we have Sanji," Luffy said with relief, draping an arm around the fox's tense shoulders. Sanji pushed him away.

He looked to Robin to see if she would be alright, and at her calming wave, he reluctantly turned and followed after the others. Zoro pushed himself to his feet and retreated along with them, Kid looking up at him with concern. Once they were alone, Robin studied Law's sullen expression. She gave Law a brief explanation behind her motives, and once she was finished, Law's face seemed to darken significantly.

"These things should have been made clear long before this point," he muttered.

"Why?" Robin questioned.

"So we could've escaped all this useless nonsense!"

"What was useless about it?" she asked. "Four people that knew only Marine rules and objectives were finally released onto the new world for them to discover for themselves what a wonderful life awaits them. There were many things here that cemented your will to live and carry on – "

"At the time of our release, we were stronger, healthier and - !"

"And you're not now?" she asked. "You don't think surviving the Wastelands, discovering what lengths you're capable of, how your independence matters was any useful? Instead, all of it made you stronger and rewired your capabilities to conduct them differently."

" _Did it_?" Law questioned tightly. "Or did it just serve to remind us that we are fuck-all useless out here?"

"The other three don't think so," Robin denied. "They're happy. They'll continue to find their happiness – yours is right there – "

"I'll never be happy. I wasn't before, I'm not now. This immortal serum creates a new layer of regenerated cells copied directly over a deformed and defunct subject, carrying over years of established memories and cells, and none of them were happy. The others are simple and retarded – they find joy in things that I find no relevance to. My happiness will only be attained with the knowledge that I have gained my complete and utter freedom from those that only see me as a goddamn tool and not as a goddamn person."

"It's interesting that you think that way," Robin commented. "Even with the limited freedom that you have, you still feel useless as a person. Yet you demand to be treated as one. With all the treatment from those around you, you still don't feel like a functioning person?"

"No."

"Then you'll never find happiness," she decided. "Because it's all the 'simple and retarded' things that you find deficient that is happiness. The others find joy in these things because they are things they never had before, so you're only enslaving yourself into this prison."

"Nothing I do is right, nothing I say is right! How am I supposed to feel?"

"I understand that you're an unreasonable person, stubbornly – "

"I don't need to hear all this. I've heard all this before."

"Your unwillingness to change is the wall to achieving your ambitions. Even if you succeed here, you've set to fail yourself after."

"I don't need to hear this from you, considering how you've hidden your true self and intentions from those you watched over. People that were tortured and broken right in front of you – and you did _nothing_ for them."

"You have compassion and empathy inside of you, why can't you continue to express it?" Robin asked, furrowing her brow. "You came in, demanded changes to unfair things, made it so – then continue to think less of yourself, believing that you don't earn it, either. You and Sanji are similar – "

"Don't compare me to him! I am nothing like him! I will not roll over and allow mistreatment like he does!"

Robin sighed. Crossing her arms underneath her abundant chest, she asked, "After this is completed, what will you do?"

"I will forge my own life based on my own decisions."

"And if nothing should go right for you?"

"Why shouldn't they? I'm already used to what this world lacks in comparison to the one we were forced to leave behind. There are new things for me to discover and learn to pass the time away. There are no greater obstacles than this one now."

"I still worry that you will continue to retain the life you've left behind to carry on the qualities of which you're comfortable with. There is still potential villainy in you."

Law snorted. "'Villainy'. The more people come to me to complain about how awful I am, the more I start to believe in it. Perhaps after this, you should target me. I might grow resentful of your _helpful_ hands and decide to carry out a revenge fitting of my mood."

"Threatening me will get you nowhere, Trafalgar."

"It's not a threat. Leave me alone." Law glared at her then walked away, Robin frowning after him.

"It's my fault," Sanji said quietly from behind her. "I've been taking out my anger on him."

Robin turned to look at him. "No one is blaming anyone for their behavior. It just appears that some people are less likely than others to make peace within themselves."

"Well, it doesn't help when people are still attacking him," Sanji mumbled.

"Did you think I was?"

"I felt that you were pushing it."

"It's important to know where one stands amongst all of this."

"We know where he stands, Robin. _Against_ them."

Robin exhaled lightly, fiddling with the lengths of her sleeves. "I understand. But I am still anxious about his behavior in regards to his freedom after he feels he's gained it."

"I think if he's left alone and allowed to explore, he'll find what he's lookin' for. He can change – he does try his hardest, but I was the one ta make him feel bad all this time cuz I was – am – mad at him."

"It's not entirely up to you to help a person change, Sanji."

"But I can influence him."

"It's not up to you. It's up to him to make that decision. You could've turned out as rotten as your family and you haven't. So he has the potential, he just doesn't want to."

"It's not that he doesn't want to, it's just that certain factors keep convincin' him he ain't good enough for it."

Robin nodded to let go of the argument. She would get nowhere with either of them. "I hope it works out."

"I'm sure it will. It's all he's thought about, so I'm sure it'll be fine."

"We'll rest for tonight, then talk about these things in the morning. But I am concerned about his appearance – "

"He's always had a problem with sleeping. More than likely, he'll spend the rest of the night thinking about how tomorrow will go."

"Then perhaps we should help him sleep?"

Sanji shrugged, but watched her walk away to return to the others. He looked in the direction Law had taken, uncertain of what to do. He felt that interfering with him right at the moment might give a troubled result, but he felt it was important to talk about these things. There was no telling what would happen.

"Nothing's changed, huh?"

Zoro almost startled him as he approached, seemingly out of nowhere. Sanji looked at him with a frown, studying him. He made a face as he leaned in to sniff his clothes and neck, Zoro pushing him away with an embarrassed expression.

"Smells like you went and got yourself married," Sanji said with scorn. His accent grew heavier and more relaxed with Zoro around, both of them allowed to speak freely between each other without having any snide comments made on their speech.

"Shut up from you."

"How do that work?" Sanji then asked curiously, crouching with his hands on his knees to peer up at him. "How such a big man allow such a small dog on his leg?"

" _Hush_!"

"It prob'ly be like Christmas when red and green meet!"

"You're so _annoying_ ," Zoro spat at him indignantly as Sanji snickered, straightening up to stand.

"When ya decide to settle? Thought you weren't ever gonna find a mate, you're so hopeless."

"When we was there." Zoro pointed at the colony in the distance, Sanji giving him a surprised look. "It's fine. Nothin' to complain about."

"What, he talk you into it? Cuz you weren't so keen on settlin' in the first place. Much less on that one."

"I guess so."

"You're so _simple_!"

"I don't see what's wrong with it. He ain't that troublesome, an' we got the same mind about things."

"No wonder ya'll made a mess of things…"

"Plus it saves me any trouble of sniffin' out available tail."

Sanji looked at him curiously, never certain if Zoro had even found tail to sniff around. The pair were always together. He took a few moments before whispering, "So who does the, uh…?"

Zoro frowned at him with disgust, crossing his arms over his chest. "Who do you think?"

"I dunno! That's why I'm askin'!"

"Then it's none of your business, but I'm hurt that you'd have to make assumptions."

Sanji laughed, slapping his own knee. Zoro kicked him indignantly, causing him to hit the dirt, but he only curled up to giggle to himself. 'I didn't come out here to gossip with you, you're so crass!"

Sanji kicked him back lightly, but rested his boots on the wolf's legs before Zoro could kick them away. "I wanna cook your wedding cake."

"Ain't nobody cookin' nothing like that, cuz it's not fancy like that. It just works! Enough of this! What're we doing tomorrow?"

Resting his legs onto the ground, Sanji sighed up at the night sky. Birds fluttered away from a ridge above them, taking to the night before resettling elsewhere. In their leave, small pieces of debris rained down, causing them to step lightly aside. But their sensitive hearing and sense of smell gave them nothing that seemed like anything was a threat. After a brief look around to make sure the coast was clear, they continued their conversation.

"M' guessing all we gonna do is most of us will attack from ground up. He's gonna appear somewhere in the medical ward and make his way through while the distraction's on ground. Meanwhile, I go find this clone and take care of it."

Zoro frowned with thought. "I haven't changed any since you left. So at this point, I dunno how it'll work."

"If you ain't bonded with me anymore, then it's possible only he can bring ya back."

"Mebbe I should test it, just in case."

"Yah, cuz better find out now rather than later."

"You gonna be okay with that? Your task?"

"No," Sanji said uneasily, sitting up. "Thought of it makes me sick."

"Then, you gonna convince him to join our side?"

"It won't work because this one gonna throw a fit."

"Then what you gonna do?"

"I guess I figure it then."

Zoro sighed heavily.

"He'll probably end up doin' it for me. I didn't say I was gonna, but that's what he gonna say."

"I don't care where things are goin' – it's more their vendetta, and we just involved by default."

"You gotta care about things like this cuz it matters to him."

Zoro agreed with a shrug of his shoulder, Sanji watching him suspiciously. "It ain't all about you, y'know…"

"I don't recall ever makin' anything about me. I think we work well together, so I'm easily agreeable."

"Well…I'm glad. Cuz now you out of your mold. But I get worried that neither of you got good ideas. Like two toddlers free reign on the floor."

"Life has been fun," Zoro commented lightly. " _Much_ more fun. So I ain't got any regrets."

Sanji did feel good for him. Considering their life together, it was good news to hear that Zoro was making memories with another person and seemed more confident with himself as a person. He reached out and patted his shoulder.

"You proved all of them wrong, then," he said. "I'm happy for ya."

Zoro considered this for a few moments, then nodded in agreement with him. "Yeah, you too."

"You make things so awkward."

"I don't! You're making this weird!"

"All you had to say was 'thank you' and we move on, but you gotta get all touchy feely about it."

"Ain't no one here being touchy feely but you!" Huffing, Zoro then said, "So what you going to do? Go talk to that guy into playin' nice with the rest of us? Everyone ain't so mad at him now that you standing right in front of us, if that's what this is about."

"It ain't," Sanji muttered uncomfortably. "He's got good days and bad days – they had 'im for some time, tryin' to break him down so they could get him to cooperate, but y'know how that goes. Just plain stubborn."

"Nothin' gonna make him feel better til he makes it, or something else happens. Ain't nothing you can do."

"It don't help that I'm still mad about it."

"Well, he was right."

"He didn't have to go crackin' my neck to get an answer!"

"I know we ain't supposed to talk about things like that, but he was getting close to the truth, so…"

"But Robin hadn't said anything at the time ta – "

"You knew how set he was on findin' out. In a case like this, it would've been easier for everyone to just tell."

Sanji frowned at him. "So if yours woulda felt the need to do so – "

"Everything I say is a truth, and if it ain't gonna be, then no point saying anything at all. He don't threaten my life every five minutes cuz he knows better."

"Oh, _stuff_ it. You're useless."

"And yet you chose him to be your mate so you can't complain about what decisions he makes or what he does," Zoro told him.

"…I ain't."

"People like us can't complain. We should just be lucky someone thought of us as any value."

Sanji sighed slowly, working his jaw from side to side before digging out his cigarettes. "Yeah, I know."

"Yeah, I was mad when it happened cuz it didn't make any sense to go that far, but…Robin can fix it."

"But for how long?"

Zoro shrugged limply.

"We might be considered worthless to others, but it don't mean our lives mean any less," Sanji said low to him, stepping in close to be heard. "We're not _things_. We come too far for that."

"Yeah, I know."

"So havin' the option of Robin being there every time shouldn't be that acceptable. You got that?"

"Yeah I do, but _I'm_ sayin' you chose this route, so anything he chooses to do is of both your decisions. Same as mine. Every decision they make, we just have to support."

"Which makes you the simpleton!"

" _Why_?"

"Because when do you make your own decisions?"

"I do! I _let_ him choose me, I _let_ them talk me out of movin' out from the colony! I made the choice to stay at his side cuz it benefitted me! So I'm sayin' this thing you got? You got benefits from it too, right?"

"…No more heats…"

"An' that's what matters most, right? You knew you had ta think about it, and you done it yourself in the end so no matter what decision he makes, you just gotta go with it. That's how this thing works. We can't change it. So bein' mad at him for somethin' that was fixed is pointless, now."

Sanji sighed again. "Even if it meant makin' a decision against you?"

Zoro looked uncomfortable. "We just gotta go where our mates want us, and that's it. If that's the decision they wanna make, then that's it. What we got to say about it?"

"So even in the end, _even_ on our own, we don't get to decide our own fates."

Zoro shrugged, a small gesture that was barely noticeable.

After a few moments, Sanji flicked ashes to the side and shuffled his feet atop of the dirt. "Alright, then. Then I go an' apologize for bein' mad."

"I dunno what sort of things to tell you cuz he testier than a badger caught in a trap. But it's up to you to make it better. If not for him, for yourself. Even if he don't change his mood, at least he knows he can rely on you no matter what."

"Yeah, supposin' so."

"I'm not saying this is easy," Zoro then said slowly, "cuz it's sure hard for me. I'm ignoring my own reasons and thoughts cuz I feel it deep in my soul to just follow. I don't feel like I gotta choice, but I reason my decisions to follow as my own and somehow it makes sense."

"Isn't that part of you anyway?" Sanji questioned. "That's how Judge wanted you bein'."

"I don't know," Zoro said thoughtfully. "But I pulled away from you, so maybe it weren't just that. All I know an' abide to is the feeling that following my mate is the right decision. An' even if not I reason myself how I made it, and then I don't feel wrong of it."

Sanji frowned. "Well, you got tiny lil secrets. Like bein' able to change without full moon like you was supposed to."

"When you gonna let that go? Obviously I wasn't built perfectly, but it's working out for me."

"Right, right…" After some moments of consideration, Sanji flicked his spent cigarette over the edge. "I'll give it a few moments. Gotta beat my pride down for a bit."

"Y'know, they say if you're castrated it makes it real easy for a man to be obedient."

"I ain't _that_ unhappy!"

Zoro then perked up. "I picked up some moonshine from this guy some time back. I'll give you a whiff, but don't drink it. You're such a lightweight, you'd fake pass out an' – "

"I can hold my liquor!"

" _Hah_!"

"You been drinkin' more an' more nowdays, sure it ain't the alcohol makin' the decisions for you? Does this thing make it easier 'tween you?"

They returned to the camp jostling each other, erupting into snaps as ribbing turned personal. On the ridge where the birds had taken flight and Zoro had been lounging atop of earlier, both Kid and Law glared out into the night. From their position, they could overhear and see everything below them, the campfire allowing them this advantage. Without a night breeze their scent couldn't travel downward and they'd compromised to be still and silent so that the beasts' sensitive hearing couldn't catch them.

Both of their faces were tight and red. Neither would admit out loud that their small insecurities had prompted eavesdropping because it was obvious why they were there.

"I don't know why I'm so pissed," Kid muttered bitterly with his arms crossed tightly over his chest.

"At least your dog is loyal," Law returned, arm crossed over his stomach.

"Your fox is blind and stupid, so that's the same fucking thing."

"If they only like us because their instincts tell them they _have_ to, is that flattering or insulting?"

"All I fucking know is that I should be mad, but I don't know about what."

"The concept of them being pets feels similar, here."

"I admit to _admiring_ my fucking pet, but I didn't think that it was _that_ that had him following!" Kid hissed.

After a few moments, Law said, "Both of them at least acknowledged that they aren't under another's control, and they'll forgive us for our damn faults no matter what. So maybe it's to our advantage to have – because no one with any sane mind would accept either me or your hideousness."

"Shut up, you. I want to know that I'm walking into this thing secure and having my partner as happy as me not out of _obligation_ but for me," Kid huffed, hand to his chest as he settled his back against the rock behind him. "It kinda don't sound that way. It sounds like they just chose us cuz we paid a bit of attention to them. That's not how these things are supposed to work! It's supposed to be about common interests and physical attractions! They said nothing about that!"

"The positive thing about this is that we aren't paying them."

"Or they ain't gold diggers – none of them asked either of us for money, or anything."

"Or power. It doesn't feel like we're being used…"

" _Really_? Because that's what I got from it. Zoro's using me for adventure and Sanji's using you so he ain't in heat no more."

"They're not asking us to do shit for them, Eustess."

"I know, that's the thing! They're not asking for shit, but they're obviously unhappy before their instincts are making him do this shit, not because they have any mutual attraction! _You_ I can understand, no one's happy with you, but _I'm_ a great guy! I express myself, I'm honest as fuck – I like my looks, I'm a fucking secure person! So it makes me feel like shit knowing that whatever decision I make, he ain't gonna go with it out of his own mind, he's only gonna go with it because he feels _obligated_ to!"

"It's not a bad thing."

"I want to be out of someone's control, so I don't think it's fair that someone feels obligated to fall under mine," Kid grumbled, knees lifting so he could prop his elbows on them.

"It makes it easier for me," Law said. "Then I don't have to worry about little things like that."

"See, that's what makes us different," Kid began, giving him an exasperated look, "If I'm going to have a partner, I want them to share the same ambitions as me, not feel _forced_!"

"You're a person of immense power, stupid, so it's never going to feel that way. You'll be lonely for the rest of your life thinking you can find an equal."

" _You'll_ be lonely for the rest of eternity because even Hell doesn't want you."

"I'm flattered."

Kid heaved out an irritated sigh. As he pouted, Law kept his personal feelings to himself but he truly felt Kid's words. It irritated him deep into his core that, despite his resolve to focus on the attack, this was affecting him with strong distraction. It also bothered him that the pair of them could agree on these things and feel the same way at the same time – it could have been the only thing that allowed them to cooperate together for a short amount of time.

"I guess I should go talk to him," Kid grunted, rising to stand. "Get it off my chest. No point in hiding it."

Law felt his lips pull into a deep frown. "So soon before our attack?"

"This is important, jerk-off. What you doing, saving it for later? What if there isn't a later? You heard the woman, they're ready for us! They know we're out here and they know what we're made up of. They got their plans and – you, you psycho, could be right on her back to stop it – which reminds me," Kid interrupted himself to say, "I gotta ask her about where she stows the stuff. She better not be carrying around in some purse of hers."

"She's not going to involve herself directly with the attack. She has abilities but hasn't shown me what type. Her involvement with breaking me out was relying on Violet's abilities to guide her. She has some sort of hand ability."

"Her story was weird, don't ya think? She was a project but she never gave details on that."

"She also mentions that her mother had found the materials while traveling, so how much was her mother actually involved?"

"She either worked for the Marines or was a by-product of them," Kid determined.

"Then we should be cautious when it comes to her making any type of direction in the attack. We know why we're doing it, but what happens to us after?"

"She's gonna kill you, that's for sure," Kid snickered.

"Not if I get to her first," Law murmured thoughtfully.

"Well, whatever. That ain't important to me right now. This is."

Law looked after him incredulously, but he understood Kid's reasoning to put his mate first. He had felt the same way – but now it was only on his list of things to do for later. Kid left him, taking a foot trail around the camp before re-emerging close by, Perona yelling at him to wash his hands after taking such a long shit.


	37. Chapter 37

**Naghi-Tan: Kid is surprisingly considerate – but then again, he and Perona binged on rom-coms to get their understanding of 'love' lol The pair chose what works for them, but it's still a little difficult for them both to adjust to two dudes that can be selfish and lacking with understanding themselves - also, how to share. XD**

 **: : Thirty Seven**

While Sanji served them a late dinner, Kid sat next to Zoro on the other side of the campfire. The group was loud with chatter and some laughter as Luffy told Sanji all about their adventures, with Perona, Rebecca, and Ussop kicking in their comments and opinions throughout. Violet and Robin spoke quietly off to the side while Pedro snored, unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth.

Taking a somewhat nervous breath, Kid folded his hands over his mouth and said low, "Tomorrow's gonna determine our total freedom, y'know. They know we're coming, so I bet it's going to be nasty."

Zoro nodded, chewing noisily through some crunchy wraps overstuffed with vegetables and what looked like pieces of meat. He'd wash it down with some moonshine, the Mason jar nearly half empty. Kid watched him from the corner of his eye.

"So…are you like, nervous?" he questioned.

"Nah."

"You might die, so…I was just wondering if that was cool with you."

"I'm not worried about it."

"It's something _you_ want to do, right? Something out of your own decision to do? This is something _you_ decided entirely of your own, and not something that's…not your choice, but you feel like you have to," Kid said awkwardly, furrowing his brow with concentration. "I'm not making you do it, so I just want to clear the air in case you feel like you're being forced into it – "

"No, it's fine. Sounds exciting."

Kid frowned again, unsatisfied with Zoro's nonchalance about it. He wasn't wearing any distressed expression, or even seemed to be thinking about it. He did seem to perk up now that Sanji was around, and even that was slightly annoying. He had to glare at the fox, who was kicking at Luffy as Luffy climbed onto his back in an attempt to reach for a plate he was desperately trying to hold out of the teen's reach.

"I wouldn't mind if you backed out, actually," Kid said slowly.

Zoro lowered his moonshine to frown at him. "So you think I won't be of any help?"

"I'm just saying – if you want to stay behind that's cool with me, too."

"I don't wanna stay behind. This sounds like a lot of fun, and I'm interested in how strong these guys are," Zoro commented. He burped, then wiped his mouth. Kid was disgusted with himself on how he thought the wolf was surprisingly manly about it. "If they're a weakness to you guys, they ain't going to be with me."

"If it looks like a dire situation, I think it would be best if you just left it," Kid said slowly. "Because there's no telling what they're capable of. They only want us back in some form – "

"I can be there to help out and prevent that. What you so scared of?" Zoro finally asked. "You think I'm not capable of proving myself?"

"I didn't say that," Kid said hastily. "I just want to make things crystal clear that I ain't expecting you to throw your life away – "

"The only time Robin had to revive me was when that fox and I were kids. I haven't done any dyin' since then, and plus, I'm insulted you think that less of me."

"I'm not trying to insult you! I'm just expressing myself and making sure that we're clear on what we expect of each other in a dangerous situation!"

Zoro _hmf_ -ed, resting an elbow on a knee. Kid twiddled his thumbs anxiously, wondering if he'd hurt his feelings in some way.

"Just don't die, and I think we're good," Zoro decided.

Kid frowned at the fire. He felt so unsatisfied with Zoro's nonchalance. Perona and Rebecca giggled together as Luffy showed Sanji something that made the fox cry out with disgust, dropping his washing container as something hissed in Luffy's cupped hands.

"Are you that nervous?" Zoro then questioned him. "I thought things like this would be more exciting for you."

" _Yeah_ I'm nervous," Kid admitted slowly, "but I think the thing that's more important right now is knowing that this is your own decision."

"What's that matter, now?"

"I don't know."

"If we're all gonna be there, they're not going to want me for anything. And I'm still mad you thought I wasn't capable of defending myself against that guy," Zoro said. "I'm no damn princess, so don't treat me like that again."

Kid sputtered before saying indignantly, "In case you haven't noticed, that guy's powers can do everything to anyone else but any of us! So that makes you vulnerable to whatever he does!"

"I can handle it. I proved it the last time," Zoro said with high confidence. "I just needed that one step. And this one is weaker than ours, so I have no problem with facing him again."

"'Weaker'?" Kid questioned on a thin tone.

"Yeah, he was weaker. This one's stronger. I can sense it."

" _Stronger than me_?"

"I think all of you are strong in your own standing, but I'm just saying – "

"And you _admire_ his tactics?"

"Well, he gets things done in a manner than can be equally respected and feared," Zoro said cautiously, looking at him. "Why you getting mad about it?"

Kid snarled, seeking the man in topic and finding him sitting just off to the side, glaring at a cup of tea. When he caught Kid looking in his direction, he set aside his cup and gave him a stoic thumbs-up to indicate encouragement. Kid resisted throwing something at him for the lack of understanding.

"I can handle myself just fine, I'm just curious as to how much and how well I can respond when it comes down to it," Zoro continued, picking up his moonshine once more. "I don't know what you're upset about, but it's rather unnecessary. You're being dramatic over nothing."

"This isn't me being 'dramatic'," Kid hissed at him, gesturing at himself. "You know how I feel about that guy! So any compliment about him pisses me off."

"Doesn't mean anything," Zoro told him with a skeptical look. "It's a respect amongst warriors – "

" _He doesn't need any_ _respect_!"

"Hey, Kid, what's up?" Luffy asked curiously, drawing their attention to the pair.

" _Ew_ , why are you so mad?" Perona asked, scrunching her face up. "It's so unattractive when you're all red in the face and spitting when you talk."

"Shut up! It's none of your business!"

"Calm down," Zoro advised him calmly. "Want a sip?"

Kid snatched the glass from him and finished it in several gulps, Zoro looking at his empty hand with a frown. Kid then threw the cup over the cliff, wiping his mouth with a harsh exhale. "Fuck, that stuff's disgusting!"

"You never complained about it before. Maybe you're tired. Go to sleep."

"I am not and I will not until this is settled!"

"Sometimes I don't get why you freak out all the time," Zoro said with a sigh. "But being jealous isn't cute."

Kid leaned in close to hiss, " _I'M NOT JEALOUS_!"

Zoro rubbed his ear and looked at him warily. "Okay, well, I guess we know where we stand on things. I'm going regardless of what you think."

Hands gesturing wildly, Kid continued to hiss only for Zoro to hear, "I'm expressing myself in a way that was supposed to convey _caring_ and _fear_ for _your_ safety, and it turned into you admitting you had a thing for that creep! I'm pissed and angry because you know exactly what I think and feel about that!"

Zoro blinked with bewilderment, taken back. "I know you care, but where did this fear come from? I'm disappointed that you feel that way after all this time. You're just stressing yourself out over something you made up in your own mind."

Kid's hands went to his hair with agitation, standing.

"And where did this come from? Having a 'thing'?" Puzzled, Zoro added, "I know he's a dangerous opponent but a strong guy that I know I can stand against."

"You're only gonna hurt yourself in this," Sanji warned Kid with a smirk, having overhead the conversation despite Kid's efforts to keep it to themselves. "Haven't you learnt by now that he so simple it hurts?"

"SHUT UP! Stay out of this!"

"Quit callin' me 'simple'!" Zoro snapped at Sanji. "I happen to express myself just fine!"

"Not good enough," Sanji commented, throwing a skeptical look at Kid. "Pay attention, dummy!"

Zoro wore a clueless expression, causing the fox to sigh and look away.

Kid sat back down, wearing an intense scowl. After everyone lost interest, he took some time to gather his thoughts then said, "I overheard your guys' conversation earlier, so that's why I brought this up. I don't want this if you feel obligated to, I want this being entirely of your own choice."

Zoro frowned at him. "That was a private conversation cuz it was the first time in a long time I got to talk to him. These things are things we don't even understand, so even tryin' to explain them to someone that ain't like us ain't easy to understand. I guess I get why you're so mad about things, but it's troublesome."

" _I like you_ ," Kid stressed, hands together in prayer form and pointing at the ground to further punctuate his declaration, "but it seems like you only like me back because there's no other choice."

"I guess it seems that way," Zoro said awkwardly. "I don't see no trouble about it."

"I don't want to be last choice or as last resort! I feel cheated now, cuz now I'm wondering if you truly do like me or just because some lonely dog picked up after the first person that treated them nice and thought, _Oh, this is good, I'll take this one_."

"If I had a choice in the first place, it'd be weird," Zoro confessed. "Cuz ain't had that problem before. But I don't got no dissatisfaction in what we got right here, so dunno why it's a problem now."

Kid sighed heavily. "It _matters_ because I wanna be liked for _me_ , not because there was no other choice."

"Oh," Zoro said thoughtfully, frowning. "I see."

After some moments of silence, Kid looked at him to see if he'd say anything else, but Zoro was rummaging in his backpack for a flask that sounded nearly empty. After he drank a couple of sips and set it aside, Zoro continued looking out at the others with nothing more to add and Kid grew impatient.

" _Well_?"

"Oh, you wanted me to say somethin'? I thought we were done."

" _AGHHH_!"

"I don't know why you just don't take my word for it."

"I want reassurances and a lengthy explanation why you'd stay at my side," Kid complained behind one cupped hand so the others couldn't hear his desperate whisper.

"Oh. Well, gee, let me think about that – "

"You shouldn't have to _think_ about it, you should just _know_!"

"But I'd like to get my thoughts in order about this. I wasn't thinkin' nothing of this, so I'd like to be understood when I say it," Zoro said carefully. "Don't mean anything less, or change anything. Tonight we're still gonna sleep together and wake up together and go off into battle with those other guys. That's how it works."

"But _why_ do you like me? That's all I need to know!"

"Well…I said I liked being able to test myself. And you're a strong guy, so that matters." Zoro scrunched his face up to concentrate hard on this topic while Kid waited, watching him with a bated breath. "And we think almost the same, so it ain't like there's no trouble. And we like most of the same things. We get along. You don't bug me as much as the other guys do. Plus, you know I'm the alpha so we don't gotta argue about that – "

"Stop saying stuff that is emasculating!" Kid hissed at him, rising again.

"Y'know, you usually like pretty things but pretty words? I don't know that stuff. Just accept that I like what I like and I'm where I'm at because I like to be. I don't know how else to say all that the way you want," Zoro then decided, frowning at him. "You're only upsetting yourself, so knock it off."

Kid realized he wasn't going to get a romantic paragraph from him with all the silly words he'd seen in movies, expressed by desperate lovers. In comparison, Zoro was like an old man already settled in his ways, bothered by a potential change.

From his distance away, Sanji struggled not to laugh at Kid's changed demeanor combined with Zoro's somewhat soft scolding. His eyes were watering and his lips caught between his teeth as he struggled not to show he was still listening. He wanted to whack Zoro across the head with his container for being so dense.

Kid sat back down, wearing a heavy scowl. Zoro looked at him cautiously, unsure of what to say or do because he felt confident in his own words. He looked at Sanji for any assistance but the fox was obviously ignoring him, busying himself on the other side of camp with washing dishes.

"I don't know why this matters now," Zoro then said clumsily. "Why you suddenly got a tick up your nose? Things was fine until you decided to find something like that."

"Because tomorrow there's a possibility of not having a chance to say anything," Kid mumbled. "Anything could happen. So I thought it was important."

"Nothin's gonna happen that big," Zoro assured him. "We're gonna get hurt and possibly lose some limbs and heart, but it ain't gonna be that big of a deal. Just get up, brush off and try again."

Kid frowned at him because he thought it was important that neither of them lost 'limbs or heart'.

"We're a lot tougher than that, and there shouldn't be no need to be thinkin' it's end all. Everyone here has a plan to do better. If this thing scares you that much, then stay behind and wait for me to come back – "

"How _stupid_ of you to say that when this is _my_ business involving _my_ freedom, and it hasn't anything to do with you or yours because if I die, you won't feel _obligated_ to stick around," Kid snapped at him, rising and walking away with a huff. Zoro just sat there, confused until he caught Sanji looking at him with a smirk.

The wolf shrugged to indicate that he was lost.

"You're dumb," Sanji told him, taking the seat next to him. He snickered, hugging his middle.

"It's kinda his fault for listening in on a private conversation," Zoro muttered bitterly. "Things were fine until then."

"You're right but you went 'bout it wrong. It's kinda okay to give a white lie here an' there, an' that should've been one of them. These guys don't really care 'bout us none. They just care 'bout what we give them right now,' Sanji said bitterly.

"I think what we got is different," Zoro interrupted. "Cuz he ain't using me like that one does. I'm plenty sure he cares. But he decided on the wrong type of mate in me, thinkin' he gonna find something pretty like the stuff he wears."

 _That stuff is pretty_? Sanji thought with a puzzled expression, aghast at Kid's choices of clothes.

'I just don't get why he just don't take my word for it. I'm obvious 'bout my business. If'n somethin' comes up that I don't like or what comes, then I say it. He just…I dunno, think he nervous too much about tomorrow."

"They are," Sanji agreed. "Cuz all them on edge. Be like facin' my father again, if the comparison helps."

"I suppose. But it pointless thinking otherwise this late. Cuz then he's gonna go into battle with the wrong feelings."

"I think they be okay. They trained, moss. Dumb stuff like this prob'ly don't cross their mind when they deep into it."

"Well," Zoro commented, drawing up his flask again, "that's the end of it. He stuck with me til the day Robin can't do that thing no more."

Sanji shrugged in response, agreeing. He rose to stand, brushing off his pants. "Just tell him his eyes or hair is pretty, he forget easy about the rest of the stuff."

"That stuff's embarrassing to say!"

"Just say stuff like that, trust me! Quit making me do all the work!"

"Shut up, you did nothing but bust your ugly face in and say dumb things."

Sanji flipped him off over his shoulder as he returned to the others, nearly tripping when Luffy grabbed him. With a huff Zoro finished the contents of his flask, and gave Kid a few more minutes to himself before walking off in search of him. On his way to follow after him, Robin handed him a flashlight with a smile.

Once he found Kid sulking near the bottom of the trail they'd used to come up, unable to go any further because of how dark the area was, he said firmly, "You need to stop actin' like an insulted princess. You ain't like that. You wanna run off all mad an' upset after every misunderstanding, then this is the last time I'm going to chase after you."

"You can't talk to me like that! I will choke you with your damn swords!" Kid barked at him, aghast that Zoro would speak to him in that manner. "I have no problem getting rid of any source of my irritation, and if you become that irritation, I'll make you pay for it."

"I'd like to see you try," Zoro challenged him, eager for a fight.

Kid tensed, then saw that Zoro was primed for a battle. What turned him off from gaining any sort of advantage was how happy the wolf was for one. He sulked because it wasn't the right sort of moment to have a fight. He reasoned he'd only come off as power hungry. He pouted because Bella had an easier time proving herself to some vampire, but found it oddly similar how the werewolf accepted him 'as is'. It was as simple in the movie, and he wondered why it was such a big fuss now. Maybe he was overthinking things, and he didn't want to follow Law's example by overanalyzing every detail.

"I don't feel like it, I'm saving my energy for tomorrow," he sniffed, looking away.

Zoro set his hands on his hips. "I'm not following you into battle with your head all wound up about these useless things. You gonna do that, you gonna lose any bit of respect I have for you as a warrior."

"Just because I'm troubled by these circumstances?" Kid gasped. "These are _normal_ human things that are fine to be troubled by!"

 _Ah, yes_ , Zoro was reminded. Sanji had told them the four enjoyed feeling 'human' in any way possible. It had slipped his mind that the reason for Kid's exuberant display of emotion was part of that. He sighed. "Ain't nothing to worry about. Just come back and stop being an idiot."

"I can if I want to, damn it. I'm pissed off."

'Then be pissed off back up there."

"Everyone's going to make fun of me!'

"So what, their opinion mean nothing cuz you gonna do what you gonna do anyway. Why you letting them dictate your emotions?"

"God, you're irritating! Go away! Let me sulk!"

"If'n you want, you can touch my chest, again."

Red faced, Kid gaped at him. "Don't try and solve this with physical intimacy! This is important! Everything can't be solved with sex!"

"Ain't nothin' that can be solved without some sort of violence. Be it good or bad. Preferably bad for the other person," Zoro mused. "'Sides if you don't want to do that, at least channel this anger into something productive. Instead of letting Sanji kill the clone, you can take him out yaself. Probably be best. In the amount of time it took from our first encounter til now, I bet he stronger."

Kid's teeth snapped together as he felt anger rising in him once more. He rose from his seat, practically alit with glee. "That is a _great_ idea! I can't kill this one, but I can definitely remove the other one!"

"Cuz if I know that fox, he gonna let him live," Zoro continued. "Double the pain for your mind. If'n you don't do it, then – "

"You shut your damn foul mouth! Any word of this to the others, to that freaking fox, and I swear I will have headaches for the rest of my life!"

"Maybe smoke one of his cigarettes, then," Zoro said with concern, not understanding the threat. "It's probably all that anger and emotion that gets you all tense."

"I'm not fuckin up my beautiful lungs with that shit! I'm going to go back there and tell them to leave that thing alone. I got dibs on him!" Halfway up with Zoro shrugging with how easy that was, Kid paused in place. He fiddled anxiously with his vest before turning to look back at him. Zoro caught up to his side, looking up at him suspiciously. Irritated that the wolf wasn't taking the initiative, Kid snapped, " _Well_? Make up for your stupid shit with a gesture or word!"

Clueless, Zoro stared at him, then scratched his head. He held up a hand for a 'high five', and Kid sighed with impatience. He gestured wildly at his lips and leaned down to meet him – Zoro frowned at this gesture, not getting it. So he lamely patted his face with his upraised palm.

"Good boy," he said with some amusement as Kid sputtered, yanking himself away.

"You're supposed to _kiss_ me, ass!"

"Like, literally?" Zoro asked with bewilderment. "In the open like this?"

" _AGHHH_!"

"Ha, ha, that's embarrassing," Zoro then laughed clumsily.

" _You're_ embarrassing!"

"Maybe when everyone's asleep."

"No one's here to look at us now!"

Red faced, Zoro glanced around then reluctantly lifted up on his toes. He smacked Kid's lips with his, using so much force that Kid reacted backward with a shout of pain as his teeth mashed his.

"God, that's so humiliatin'," Zoro then mumbled, hurrying away while Kid recovered.

 _Guess it can't all be like the movies_ , Kid thought with irritation. But he felt better after because even if it was "embarrassing", the shorter man was still able to do these things anyway. It made him perk up - he was pretty sure his rival couldn't have these things.

: :

Robin had refused to give him the satisfaction of going over their plans for tomorrow, insisting on everyone getting proper rest beforehand. So Law had sulked away from the noisy group until they were all snoring in their beds. The night was dark, with only a sliver of the moon visible. Animals called out from down below, creating an ambiance that made it difficult for him to concentrate. The fire was allowed to die down, so visibility was difficult for him. It was hard to tell who was who on the ground, so he intended on walking through all of them until he found his. Before he could purposely step on someone, Sanji snatched his arm from the side and directed him towards the familiar layers on the ground.

"You're so troublesome!" the fox hissed at him.

"What are you doing up? Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"Shh! Lower your darn voice! Everyone sleepin', you should be doin' so, too."

"I can talk however I want, no one listens to me," Law grumbled childishly as he slowly lowered himself to the bed. "I want my arm back."

"You ain't getting it back til you on your best behavior," Sanji muttered back, throwing his blankets atop of him before returning to his nearby. In the darkness, Law could vaguely make out the distance between them, and he felt his face fall into a heavy frown.

Sensing he was still sitting up, Sanji frowned back. "Lay down."

"I'm…cold."

"Then roll up in those blankets, there."

"I'm still going to be cold."

"I ain't laying next to you, you been actin' a loon. 'Sides, you'd talk my ear off, an' I'm tired."

"I can be mad at you for however long you're going to be mad at me. Two can play this stupid game."

"This ain't no stupid game! Quiet your dumb voice, go to sleep! Gonna wake the others!"

"I don't give a fuck. You're the one way over there, forcing me to raise my voice just to talk to you."

" _I swear_ \- !" Sanji hissed, angrily gathering up his blankets and dropping them closer to him. As he straightened them out, he snapped, "Lower your voice, then. You wanna talk, keep it to a whisper so's not to disturb others."

Unmoving, Law did lower his voice to say, "You said you'd work on not being mad at me. You haven't."

"I got some things to settle 'fore I do."

"I worked on treating you nicely and you're still angry. What was the point of wasting my time on that if you're not going to appreciate it?"

Sanji sighed heavily, turning the other way to hide his crabby expression. All the irritation and anger he felt just dealing with the older man's petulance was difficult to put away. Despite the talk he'd had with Zoro earlier, it was struggle to put this away. He wished he had Zoro's "simple" nature. He was jealous of the way Kid and Zoro were able to put aside their differences to maintain a somewhat peaceful relationship, but he didn't envy both of their carefree attitudes.

"Lots of things influenced my behavior," he mumbled. "You aren't the easiest person to warm up to. Could get myself killed."

He heard Law sigh heavily, but there was no other movement to signal that he was ready to settle down any time soon.

"So speaking up on your behalf against the colonists, feeling the way I do means nothing in the end," he heard Law mutter bitterly.

"I don't wanna do this right now."

"So asking you to do something that could make you feel better is pointless, too, because you'll still be angry at me. If that's the case, then forget my useless efforts."

"Why would ya think that'd make me _feel better_?" Sanji hissed him, sitting up to glare over at him. "You're askin' me to kill another one of ya, an' that don't make ya feel any way?"

"It'd be just like getting revenge, so why doesn't it?"

"That's not the point!"

"Then what's the damn point? Speak articulately so I understand."

"Reverse the position!"

"Then you'll spend the rest of your life feeling this way, so it's pointless trying to make you happy. I'm just making it clear that I don't intend on going out of my way to gain any points with you."

Sanji once again laid back down and pulled his blankets up to his chin. " _Good_. Then leave me be."

"It's ironic that you'd forgive everyone that's stepped on you in the past, but you can't forgive me, the one that stepped _up_ for you."

Sanji grit his teeth noisily.

"How asinine."

" _Enough_ with the guilt tripping and dumb words!"

"Oh? You feel guilt? You resent me for that, too? To feel guilt might mean you feel something, and it's obvious you don't want to."

"I'm angry at you cuz you thought I'm expendable!"

"People have done worse to you and you thought nothing of it!"

"None of them have killed me, though!"

" _What is the difference_? Well, whatever. If you want to continue behaving like a Marine, go ahead. One of these days I'll get tired of it and put you out of your misery. But until then I'm not letting you go so it'd be in your best interests to change your mind."

Sanji sat up to lean into his space, hissing, "Then do it right now, you miserable shit stick."

"No, because Robin will bring you back to life."

"Then do it _again_."

"Fine. I'll do it until I get tired of it."

"Good! Sounds great to me!"

"I won't get tired of it, I'm warning you now. Each one will be messier and more painful than the last!"

"I would hate for things to get boring, so you better make each one interesting!"

Law grit his teeth, fuming at the fox's stubbornness. His threats were ineffective towards him, especially if Robin was able to make him come back. He was absolutely sure he wouldn't be able to do it anyway, because the last time had nearly broken him. He was positive he didn't want to feel that way again. So it was frustrating that Sanji challenged him but at the same time, the fact that the fox would still speak to him despite his feelings was enough for Law to keep his attention. If this was all that he could have from him, then it was better than nothing at all.

"I'm cold."

"I don't care."

"Everyone else gets your attention but you ignore me."

"Because I don't like you."

"And yet you made a decision to make me your mate so I expect you to change your behavior."

"You can be mates with someone and still not like 'em."

"Then it doesn't make sense on an evolutionary stand point."

"I will 'evoluntionize' your future way of thinking if'n you don't shut up."

"That's a made up word. If you're going to argue with me, do it correctly."

"You're arguing with me like a damn _child_ \- !" Sanji cut himself short, thinking about it. Once he realized their thread of useless words, he finally understood why Law was pursuing the topic. It made him sigh; peeved that he'd allowed his emotions overrule his usually sharp observation skills. Clearly the man was looking for attention and this was the only way he could get it. It still irritated him that he could not let up on his cynicism so easily; but it felt near impossible, considering what happened when he let his guard down.

It was intensely frustrating. But he had to turn the tables around if he was expected to make this work. Being without his heats was definitely a sign for him to try harder.

"I'm not rewarding your behavior," he said slowly, "but if you're that cold, help me combine our beds."

"I only have one fucking arm. Either you come to mine, or I to yours."

Sanji ground his teeth once more, temper snapping despite his resolve. "Maybe if you were _nicer_ about these things – "

"I tried being nice with you, all I got was ignored or snapped at. Just like now."

"Normally when someone requests somethin', they ask nicely or politely regardless of personal feelings. _That's just how it goes_. You wanna accuse me of being like them Marines, maybe you should step back and look at yourself – "

"Because you act just like them – "

"An' yet here you are, constantly telling me to fulfill some stupid demand of yours! You don't wanna be treated a certain way, start actin' a certain way – "

"It's your fault for – "

" _Shut up_! Listen to me! You're used to makin' demands and having them fulfilled. It don't work that way. It's a damn _choice_ whether or not a person wants to fulfill it. I'd be more'n happy to help you if you weren't demanding, threatening, or passive-aggressively hintin' at something you want done. Just ask me directly. Regardless of what I feel, it's up to me whether or not I wanna."

"But you _don't_ , because you just said you're mad at me, so I won't be expecting you to do anything!"

"And why is that, smart guy? Put yourself in my place! Imagine yourself trusting somebody to be a certain way then having it ripped apart cuz of a stupid theory! What if I did that to you? What if I was nice to you until I decided that perhaps I like the other you better, and got rid of you?"

"It wouldn't be the same because the other I is separate from me, so if you expect a more agreeable answer then please insert the immortal serum into this factor so that I can better understand your dumb threat."

Sanji glared at him, growing red throughout his face and neck. "Now you just bein' nitpicky and stupid. You want nice? _Act_ nice. You wanna act like a jerk, get a jerk in response. If'n you want anything done at all, then ask someone else. AND DON'T ARGUE with me on this, I ain't about to cave in to you. And if I end up awake all night arguing with you like the damn toddler you are, I ain't gonna be any nicer tomorrow."

Law considered his words for a few moments as the fox angrily moved his things over and created a bigger bed space for both of them. While he was doing that, Law sorted through their useless pile of arguing to find the things that were more important.

"I thought it would make you happy," he said slowly, "to destroy something that isn't me, but is me. Wouldn't you want to destroy something that makes you unhappy?"

"You don't go around killin' things, or laying waste to things that make you unhappy," Sanji hissed at him, impatiently drawing the blankets around them both. "Havin' to do so would make me feel bad."

"Why?"

" _Because_ , you numbskull, the other one is you, just extra!"

"But you're mad at me, so it'd make sense to get rid of it."

"'Him', not it, because he still thinks and feels just like you did when you first arrived," Sanji corrected irritably.

"I don't see the problem. I'd be happy to kill each and every problem that presented itself to me."

"Then do it yourself!"

"I guess it would bother you," Law said slowly, in an effort to placate the rising anger in Sanji's tone, "but I just don't understand it."

"That how the Marines dealt with things? It unpleasant to them, so they remove the source of it?"

Law hated the comparison of his way of thinking to those of the Marines, and it showed on his face.

"Just cuz things are bad," Sanji said just as slowly, attempting to be considerate, "don't mean you gotta go to extremes to feel better."

"You gave me a headache."

"You think too much - ! Wait. Here…" Sanji quickly rummaged through his backpack nearby, found what he was looking for and dug his lighter out from his pockets. "I want you to try this."

"Pot? I'm calling 911 to report a criminal."

"What's - ? _Never mind_. Just do it."

So involved with the task, it nearly startled and embarrassed them both when Robin placed hands on their shoulders and gently asked them to move elsewhere for their partaking of medicinal properties.

Forty minutes later, Sanji was sleepily watching stars fall while Law snored in his lap. Sanji hadn't thought of the painkiller as something as useful as this, but it had been easier to set aside angry feelings and thoughts just to ramble about various things until it was decided that both of them were being stubborn and stupid towards each other because each of them were afraid of being hurt.

Law had confessed how awful he felt when he'd taken that gamble, and Sanji believed him just by the weight of his words and the emotions he expressed. It was startling how easy that had been. Still in the throes of things, Sanji realized he felt bad for being angry at Law for this long. All he saw now was an emotionally stunted man that couldn't communicate his true thoughts and feelings because he hadn't been allowed to, and didn't know how. There were so many other things he felt guilty about, but he felt okay with acknowledging this and accepting it. In this relationship, he had to think differently in order to peel apart that stubborn willfulness and work with it; not against it as he was doing. He had to admit that Law did try to be nice to him during their time together, and it was his own shortfall that refused to accept it.

He supposed he needed to hear the things Law had confessed to him to be absolutely sure, though. He regretted not thinking of this route sooner.

He ran his fingers through Law's shortened hair, lightly caressing his scalp. Judging from the drool puddle soaking into his pants, Law wasn't waking up any time soon. His usually intense expression was replaced by a more peaceful one – one that Sanji didn't see unless it was when the man truly felt relaxed. Sanji felt surprised at how he felt appreciating some of his physical features. When Law was quiet and at rest, Sanji could allow himself to value these things. He bent awkwardly to kiss him on the temple.

"Dumb ass," he muttered.

They were sitting further up the ridge, where the night breeze would carry away the painkiller's scent without disturbing anyone. It allowed him to look over the trees and rough terrain down below, and was far enough away where he could barely hear the others' snores. His own thoughts sluggish, Sanji watched the stars until he realized he wasn't alone. He froze as his ears attuned to the sound of near soundless footfalls behind him, his eyes slightly wide with panic. His instincts were muted, so he didn't feel a rush of danger and attack – just _caught_.

"What is the meaning of this shit?"

Sanji blinked repeatedly in order to straighten out his thoughts, turning his head to look at the shocked expression of a healthier, bigger and seemingly more innocent version of the man that was still snoring on his lap. The white of his outfit stood out against the dark, but it was muted by the presence of a darker coat – the clone was pulling the hood down to reveal a head full of combed hair.

Sanji was struck dumb at the near mirror-like version that looked down at them with such frozen horror that he felt hysterics building up in his chest. He couldn't stop the sputtering snicker that escaped him, both crazed by the confrontation and the aftereffects of his pain killer.

" _Oh_ ," was all he said, gaping up at the clone.

Though the moonlight was dim, the clone was shocked as his eyes lingered on his copy with the expression of a man slapped. Because of it, Sanji tried to be helpful with covering the openly snoring face of the man resting his head on his lap. He cleared his throat noisily, knowing this was a danger zone but unable to get his thoughts in order to react properly.

"Can you come back later? He's sleeping," he then whispered.

The clone looked so stunned at the sight of his other self that his own mouth was slightly hinged open; similarly to the man sleeping. Sanji caught himself from snickering again because he wasn't sure how to address this properly. He struggled to get himself together.

Sanji tried to be sympathetic. "I know this looks weird, but it ain't either of your faults. So…try to calm down, an' think intellibigably. Intelli-gently. Smallishly."

After a few moments, the clone sniffed the air, then looked horrified all over again. "That's not a cigarette."

Sanji offered what was left. "I can light it, if'n you want."

"I don't want that!"

"SHHHH! You'll bring the predators to us."

The copy managed to tear his eyes away from the other man to look at him, and Sanji nervously waved his hand about to keep the clone's attention on the offering, attempting to make peace.

"'Fore you start overthinking things," he said slowly, wishing his thoughts were better managed, "maybe you should talk to your bosses, first. It's they that got all they explaining to do."

After some moments of consideration, a familiar furrow of a brow occurred. "For someone raised in a superior setting, your speech is atrocious."

Sanji wondered if he'd somehow managed to wander back through time. He was pretty sure his Law had said the very same thing. He was struck dumb by the similarity, mind frozen as he looked around his surroundings. All he could do was blink owlishly up at him, stunned into silence. It took a few moments but Sanji started to grow aware of a muffled voice coming from somewhere far from them. Too faint for him to make the words out but present. He shook his head, as if by doing so would allow him to think more clearly.

The clone was still frozen, throat working noisily as he struggled to get a grip on himself.

"They didn't tell ya, did they?" Sanji asked suspiciously. "That there was 'nother one of ya out here. What, they didn't think you'd freeze once you found out the truth? What you out here for, anyway?"

There was a short gulp of breath, followed by a slight shudder. Sanji looked at him sympathetically, patting his Law's arm with comfort. He thought he was doing so with the right Law.

"There, there. They do that a lot, eh? Lie to you, use you to get what they want at their own comforts," he said empathetically. "I heard lots of that spiel from this one, here. He ain't too happy, either. 'S why he all worked up all the time. Much like you'll be, so you might as well as settle down here, let me tell ya about your future…"

"… _Future_?" the clone asked harshly, once again looking at his other self. He seemed so mind-boggled that Sanji wondered if his painkiller had somehow affected him too.

"Yes," Sanji replied carefully. He could hear that voice again, but he couldn't figure out where it was coming from. His mind just wasn't that focused. The tone of it was urgent and loud, and it seemed like the clone's breathing had grown shorter. It was too sharp to be coming from a radio, but definitely too far away for the person speaking to be close. Determined to keep the conversation going while his thoughts slowly returned to order, Sanji added, "This is _your_ future."

"Don't be ridiculous," the clone muttered, wiping his face.

" _He_ didn't think so, either," Sanji said with a wild gesture at the sleeping man. "Thought if he started looking for answers he'd understand why ya'll were here. Ain't make no sense that ya'll woke up from – oh. The others aren't with you?"

The clone grit his teeth. "Of course not – they're there, they broke out and left me behind."

Sanji gave him a sympathetic look, rubbing on his Law's arm once again. Because of the weight of the anger present in that tone, he really felt that this was true. He knew the clone was rattled, and he knew he could push it in the right direction if he had to. Law was prone to making emotional decisions under serious duress.

"I'm sorry they did that," he said quietly. "Made you look like a right fool, huh? Always complaining that they get so annoyed with ya – thought that by leaving you behind, they can make it better for 'em. It didn't happen, did it? Cuz now you here, ready to exact justice for bad and unfair behavior."

The clone studied him – Sanji could feel his stare in the dark. It made him feel uneasy, remembering how his Law had first looked at him. It was mindbending how the similarities were there, and he felt unsteady, like he was unsure of where he stood.

"Enough of this. Where is the last Vinsmoke? He's here with you. If I can do this quietly and without any interruption, that would be preferable."

Sanji gaped at him, then blinked rapidly. He touched his chest, unsure of whether or not to speak up just yet. It would probably be easier for all of them if he just amused the guy for a bit until someone noticed the trouble – but remembered belatedly that everyone was asleep and Zoro had lost his bond with him. He absently rubbed his Law's scalp once more, considering the possibilities.

"What for?" he asked quietly. "Now that you see there's two of you, don't you think they've already found their answers?"

"Are you him?"

"Think about it – they succeeded with you. Findin' a new toy to play with, what they gonna do to you when they wanna new one?"

That voice became a shout – it was tinny, and Sanji realized it was coming from him. A man was ordering Law to follow through with his directive – he'd found who he was looking for. But because he was frozen by the sight of his clone, Law wasn't ready to react just yet. Sanji wished he could see his expression in the dark – he was pretty sure it would mirror his Law's thoughtful one, where he was tearing apart possibilities for something that seemed more substantial. Sanji licked his lips.

"They sure sound panicked," he mused, drawing his fingertips through his Law's hair, looking down at the snoring man with affection. He wiped drool from his lip and chin, wiping that clean on his chest.

"What are you doing?"

"Thinkin'. I normally use this herb for some kinda pain, but with the way it affects me I thought – what if it could slow down his mind a bit? Allow him to relax? Ya'll have such trouble sleepin' – especially in the dark."

Sanji could start to sense the trepidation rising in the other man – a tight hold of his breath. The fear of darkness affected this clone, too. It was too human, too real for Sanji to think that his Law could expect him to kill this clone that thought and felt _exactly_ like him. He knew for absolute certain he could not kill this clone – this _man_. A breathing, thinking, _feeling_ man with real flesh and blood – his Law was too stupid to understand this.

"No…t- _that_. Touch – touching him – me? _Hah_ ," the clone muttered, his voice filled with stunned incredulity. Sanji could hear his hands going up to fiddle with the jacket that rustled with some type of fur. There was a chemical smell to him that confused Sanji's senses, meant to throw off his sense of smell. "This entire time – the…the conversation you – I can't even speak…"

"You heard us talk? How embarrassing!" Sanji laughed awkwardly, feeling his face turn red. "But we managed to get some things straightened out – "

"Nothing about it was 'straight'! How could – how could this _be_ …?"

Sanji shook his head, patting his Law's shoulder again. The man was so deeply asleep that no movement or the sound of their voices seemed to rouse him – Sanji could tell by his breathing and his relaxed state that he was beyond any help. Which was probably a good thing.

"Don't bother breaking your mind over it," Sanji said slowly. "Things just be. But I wanna know an answer to my earlier question – you know it to be true. What they gonna do with you when they got me to make a newer, more evolved clone?"

"It's not up to me what they do – "

"Gonna burn it down when it don't please ya none? When Sengokou decide that he done givin' you answers?"

"How do you know about …that…?"

"He the one to deny you any privilege of an answer, with Corazon feeding you light lies and truths, and it ain't til later when you find out what's what. You free, now, aren't you? Why don't you try for freedom when they ain't holding you down with seastone? Like the others? But they didn't tell you you were the only one they could make – the only of your kind cuz Corazon messed up the lab? Only set ya out with the scent of my shirt and told ya to _fetch_."

He could feel the man staring at him, the nervous swallow he made loud in the dark. Sanji carefully shifted out from the weight of Law's head and shoulders, taking off his vest to make as a pillow. He folded that under his head, then slowly stood to face the other. He cleared his throat to say, "You ain't a dog. You ain't no pet, either. You know they full of lies – they didn't tell you everything, and you know it. That why you too shocked to say anythin', cuz I'm just echoing exactly what you been thinking."

He could barely see the other man's face – it was locked in his direction, now, wearing the same expression his Law would make whenever Sanji managed to shut him up with his words. Sanji felt so nervous facing him – it was too confusing. In the glint of the faint moonlight, he saw a coil of white running up the collar of Law's white jacket, ending at his ear. The voice was coming from there.

"What's that?" he asked on a mystified tone, indicating his own ear.

After a few moments of silence, Law removed it and let it dangle over his collar. The voice was louder, and Sanji could hear the angry demands for a response.

"That Sengokou?"

"If this is my future," the clone said slowly, swallowing again before Sanji interrupted with, "Less parts. Zoro done removed his arm, y'know? Killing me the first time. That what they gonna do to you, y'know. They gonna use what I got running through my veins to make another one of you – something they can easily control. Remove certain memories so you don't remember nothin'. Or you'll remember everything, and you got to know that it'll happen each and every time they kill ya."

"It's an immortal serum that was manufactured to perfect a clone – "

"But you ain't the perfection. You made out of the lesser stuff – so you're expendable. Like them, you remember only little of what happened in your past, and only fill in pieces of what you don't remember – what they deny you to cause you to burn the library down, anyway?"

"Privileges to see my medical records – "

" _No_ , dummy. They deny you access to anant-tomy of a brain," Sanji corrected. He knew he mangled the word, but couldn't find the correct one. His speech was frustratingly slow and careful, just like his thoughts. "You knew too much, Sengokou feared, so he refused to give you that. You took mine apart to see just how it worked and fix an injury."

With confusion flitting across that frozen face, Sanji could tell that the clone was struggling to verify this.

"I know, cuz you told me later," Sanji said gently. "Cuz you wanted me to know that you fixed me."

"Why?"

"For your own amusement, I guess."

"No. No, not that. That…everything about this – "

"Zoro was mad cuz Kid treated him like a princess – must've done everything he could to keep you from snatchin' him. What made you think he done that?"

"To – to irritate me, he knows - !"

"He did it cuz Zoro thinks of him as a mate, now," Sanji corrected him. "Kid, the same. They together."

Law just stared at him as if he'd developed a second head in front of him, then looked utterly disgusted. " _What_?"

"And that the same with us," Sanji said slowly, gesturing to himself. "I chose you the same way you chose me."

Sanji heard his breath stop as his entire body went rigid. He then exhaled forcefully. "That's not _true_ \- !"

"Yet you heard us talk. That ain't somethin' you can rightly ignore, you saw it and heard it with your own ears."

"I can't 'see' with ears," Law said with disgust. "If you're going to prove some stupid point with me, then argue correctly."

Sanji laughed noisily because he felt crazed at the same expression being used by a mirror version of his Law. He slapped his knee. "He says the exact same thing! Can't stand it when I don't talk like he does!"

"Then you're lying! All of it! This is some - projection, some type of telepathy -! Judge manufactured his own children to be perfected weapons fit for this environment, and he gave you something extra!"

" _Shh_!" Sanji hissed at him. "You'll wake the others!"

"Fuck them!"

Sanji exhaled forcefully, hands to his head. He was definitely tripping because he swore Law had said the exact same thing. Maybe it was he that had gone back through time. The clone then looked back down at the other on the ground, his lips held tight. Sanji couldn't hear the voice anymore.

He said low, "It was an inside job. The project was out of their control and in other's hands. So they set you four aside during a day where they claimed the missiles were comin' – but those didn't come til later. They covered the base up – set up a scene where it looked like they'd offed themselves. But they stored themselves, trusting the plans into other safe bunkers to weather an actual storm. Judge stole those plans, created his own version of clones and projects – myself and my brothers. Cuz he gave nothin' away and planned on domination for his own satisfaction, Corazon and Sengokou destroyed Germa and set upon the mainlands to carry out their own order and control. They still intend on using you four as their way of gaining power – "

"Shut up."

"You know it's true. You know it, cuz I'm filling in the blanks that you couldn't find. You wanna know something else?"

Law managed to look at him, Sanji covering his mouth with one hand to say low, "You got a tannish beauty mark right in that valley 'tween hip and thigh, and a second toe that's longer than the first, but only on your right foot. Plus, ya got weird lookin' knees that you think look like a pug's face, and a patch of bare skin on your calves from where your pants rub so you too self-conscious to wear shorts like normal people do."

The clone shoved him away violently, red-faced with horror. Sanji managed to catch himself before he could fall over the ledge, rocks showering down to the depths below them. He sat quickly to get his heart pumping normally as it leapt in his throat from the near miss.

He said shakily, "But with that, you know I'm speaking the truth. Ain't no reason to lie to you."

With the heavy silence behind him, Sanji could feel that the clone was taking this into consideration. He waited several long moments before he felt the weight of his stare on his back. It caused goosebumps to rise all over his body, unable to breathe easy because of the eeriness of the encounter. He couldn't help but bite his lower lip, sneaking a glance at the sleeping man on the ground, hoping he didn't wake up.

At the scuff of weight on dirt, he turned to see the clone's response. He was both relieved and uneasy to see that he was gone, an empty coffee cup standing in his place. Hastily he climbed to his feet, shaking his Law hard to wake him up.

"Let's go, let's go, _let's go_!" he hissed urgently. "We need to go! We need to go, _now_!"


	38. Chapter 38

**A/N:** I had a writing breakdown (oh, the drama! XD) on this story because I was so obsessed with it and it's close to the ending and I always freak out before endings. After some time away, I can finally write it again! Also, if you haven't seen "The Fifth Element", please do to understand Law's references. It's very fitting XD Also check out My Tumblr page for a funny fox hunt meme made by the ever talented Pieromachine/Hallconen!

 **Naghi-Tan: They're both so embarrassing! XD So cringey! And luckily he was coherent enough to throw off clone Law because it would've ended differently if he wasn't thinking. But then that's just the effect the fox has on the older man, clone or not! :D**

 **Guest: No, this is the only filth I write. Could've been worse but I held myself back because I'm sure I already wrote those ideas in another fic.**

 **Sarge1130: They are desperate! The group is growing further and further out of their reach! They're doing it so that 'peace' can be maintained in a structured environment because clearly people aren't flourishing and need their help! (hah sarcasm!) Robin is still mysterious as to how big of a part she's truly playing. Law is a pitiful character – he's only operating on what he knows and administering what he knows and none of it is "proper". He might have good intentions but only knows the Marine way of life to get it. Kid and Zoro are the most awkward couple – but I'm not going to lie, they're so fun to write XD (I can't wait to see Kid again! I'm anxiously awaiting his return in the OP chapters!) Clone Law is going to be everyone's stick in their bicycle tires on a downhill race – now imagine if there were two of the four! (cringe)**

 **: : Thirty Eight**

The group was roused hastily by Sanji's warning minutes later. Understanding that the situation was urgent but fairly discombobulated, Law stood off to the side with a confused expression as everyone hurriedly gathered their essentials.

"We're _not_ running from this," Kid hissed at Sanji. Most of their camping items were being hastily abandoned and essentials taken. "If anything, we're going forward!"

"We don't know how many is out there and where they're stationed if we can't smell them," Sanji hissed back.

"Don't talk to me when you're all high! _Are_ you high? _You too_? What is _wrong_ with you two?" Kid cried after seeing both of their faces. Law shrugged, unable to get his thoughts in steady order. "What made you think this was a great idea – and I didn't know you shared your stuff, how come _I_ can't – _never mind_! I'll put that on my to-do list for later!"

"You are a fountain of ever changing emotions," Robin commented with amusement.

"I don't think it's healthy to hold back," Kid told her. He renewed his energy. "Listen, even if they have us surrounded somehow, we have a way out. Let's not worry about the ground – we're going forward. Last time he was accompanied by Corazon and probably a crew of about twenty – when we were in training, we each had at least a crew of twenty behind our backs to take care of us."

"It might be different considering your numbers now," Robin cautioned.

"Then so what?" Kid then slapped Law's shoulder, the man startled at the contact. " _Focus_!"

"I can't figure out why I'm being screamed at," Law said with confusion. "I understand we're surrounded, but I fail to find any other way about it."

"This is _your_ fault," Kid snarled at Sanji, bending low to do so. "I'm calling the cops! You're all going to jail! USSOP!"

"I don't understand why you're so mad," Ussop exclaimed, cringing at the volume of Kid's voice. "It's a _medicinal_ herb -!"

"I admit it's my fault," Sanji said guiltily, wiping at his shirt with a cringe. "I forgot what my first time was like."

"Proponents of weed should be _jailed_ for their free thinking ways! All it causes is anarchy and free speech!"

Sanji looked at Kid tiredly as the taller man ran his hands through his red hair with agitation.

" _Calm down_ ," Zoro snapped at Kid. "Place your excitement and fear elsewhere until we know for sure what's goin' on."

"Are you sure it wasn't just me speaking to you?" Law asked Sanji with concern, touching his own chest to make sure he was still there. "Perhaps I was sleep talking."

"It wasn't," Sanji assured him. "Robin. _Please_. It's time."

"I don't feel like I've said anything at all," Law said, looking puzzled, reaching up to feel along his chin and mouth while Perona stared up at him in silence. "I am pretty sleepy, though."

"Get some coffee in you! Chew up these beans!" Kid demanded, searching through Sanji's supplies for the canister. Sanji kicked that bag out of his hands, Luffy stretching out to catch it before it could sail over the ledge.

"I think I'll just continue taking a nap here while you guys sort these things out," Law said, lowering himself down to the ground. Kid snatched him up to stand with a growl while Luffy joined them, throwing on Sanji's supply backpack over his own.

"Are you still tired?" Luffy asked the older man. "Me, too. But we can sleep _after_ we beat these guys! We've been looking forward to this, it should be exciting! That'll wake you up!"

"You said they wouldn't be looking for us," Kid then said to Robin as she and Violet centered themselves around one of her packs. Pedro stepped in to provide a buffer as Kid insisted, "You said they'd stick to the colonies, and not the Wastelands! How did they find us?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Robin said, finding what she was looking for. It was a small apothecary bottle, clouded and yellow. Kid paused to look at it curiously as Violet retrieved a steel syringe that looked menacing.

"Is that…?"

"Yes. A fraction of it," Robin confirmed, filling the barrel ever so slightly. "It goes directly to the spinal area, and will replace the missing limb."

Despite himself, Kid was interested. He crossed his arms tightly while he watched with fascination as Robin approached Law, Violet crossing with her.

"This might sting a little," she warned. "But next time, I won't be so free with replacing anything that goes missing because of your transgressions."

"You're saying that right in front of him," Law said with worry, gesturing at Sanji. Sanji scowled at him with warning. Violet gave Law a sour look while she roughly yanked up his shirt to expose his spine to Robin, causing him to give a startled noise. He quickly pushed his shirt down. " _Oh my god_. I'm naked under there."

Perona burst into loud laughter. "We've found a way to erase his asshole personality! Ussop! It's your job to keep supplying him with your god grown herbs!"

"It's not something easily found in most areas," Ussop mumbled as an argument ensued over Law's feeling of nakedness in front of the women. "I feel like you guys aren't as comfortable with it as we are."

Impatiently, Kid grabbed Law's shirt and held it over his head while Violet pushed down on his shoulders. Robin's action was a strong jab that caused him to hiss, the others wincing at the sight of the thick needle disappearing directly into bone. Once it was over, the others released Law while he sat frozen in surprised pain, Robin gesturing for the bandage Rebecca had prepared. She smoothed it on, Kid crouching to watch Law's missing arm slowly regenerate. Much like a billowing of slimy matter making its way towards the ground, bones resurfaced first. Then nerves coiled into place, followed quickly by other matter. It took several minutes for the entire arm to form, slick with sweat and trembling as Law gaped at it in amazement. He moved his fingers, lifted his arm to examine it for himself.

"That's _wicked_ ," Kid then said, rising to stand. "So that's how it goes."

"Quick and easy," Robin said, handing the used syringe to Rebecca, who hastily dropped it into a bottle of clear liquid. "Unfortunately, we won't be able to go through the plans as we'd hoped to. We'll split here."

"Where are you going?"

"Somewhere safe but close by in the event that we're needed."

"It makes sense cuz we don't know how many's exactly out there," Zoro said before Kid could argue. "Like you said, we just gotta move forward."

"He has to be close because it was a house mug he'd replaced himself with, and if'n he using something smaller than a radio to communicate with, they are too close," Sanji confirmed, pulling on Law to make him stand. Reluctantly, Rebecca pulled his lost sword from her pack.

"Robin managed to find this," she said stiffly, giving it to the man.

Law took it slowly, staring at his weapon with open awe. He unsheathed it to see the gleaming metal, whispering grimly, "This is _so cool_ …I've always wanted one…"

"We're going to replace you with the other one," Kid warned him, irritated with his airy mannerism. "Get it together! You're going to die out there!"

"And people are upset about this?"

"Then let's _go_!" Luffy cried, racing ahead, Ussop gasping as he realized that they truly intended on running into danger without a plan.

"I can't wait to get my hands on those guys!" Perona shouted as she followed after them. "I have my battle outfit on! This is going to be super serious!"

"We shouldn't run head long into the problem!" Sanji snapped, throwing on his backpack while Robin and the others began moving in the other direction. "We need to step back and go 'round!"

"We're not hiding from them if they're looking for us!" Kid said with determination.

"They're gonna know exactly how to beat all of you! They got the time and they gathered the resources!"

"Calm down," Law ordered, adjusting his furry vest, zipping it into place. "Everyone. The best situation is happening now. Let the idiots run into the fray – having them all in one place will draw their attention, allowing me to slip down to the bottom and make my way through the trees to hide. Hopefully I come across some snacks along the way – I seem to be terribly hungry."

Kid reached out and slapped him upside the head. "Anything you say is useless! We're all moving forward – keep up with us because I want you to watch me kill your clone right in front of you and have you fear me for the rest of your life."

"I do fear you. I fear your taste in clothes. They're very Ruby Rod."

Sanji stopped Kid from attacking him while Luffy's shouts seemed to echo beyond them. "Enough of this!"

"If we don't have to stand around talking about things, then let's go," Zoro said impatiently, withdrawing his swords.

"We have no other choice," Kid muttered, shoving Sanji away. "We have to count on them having surrounded us because how else would that clone know how to find us?"

" _Bzzzzzt_!" Law chuckled to himself. Kid glared at him. Zoro grabbed Kid's arm to encourage him to walk as Sanji fiddled with his multi-pocket belt with trepidation. "…I'm so fucking sleepy right now."

"I couldn't smell him," Sanji warned Zoro. "That's the only thing I really remember."

"If he's exactly like this one, then we'll leave him to you," Zoro said with some confidence. "You'll figure it out. We'll go for the others."

"Then let's move up further," Sanji suggested, snatching Law's arm and yanking him after him. "We can get a better view from the top!"

"Wait for my legs," Law ordered, yanking at the fox's grip. "They aren't catching up!"

"Good luck dying!" Kid yelled after them. "It'll make me happy!"

They then started moving after the others, the sky lighting up with color in the east. Luffy was still shouting out for someone to fight him, his voice faint with the distance. Seeing how eager they all were for the impending battle, Kid felt confidence grow in him. He was sure to consider the obstacles mentioned earlier, but he couldn't wait to get this confrontation over with. He was sure they had the advantage – time spent in the Wastelands had given him new confidence in negotiating the lands' resources, having switched his battle modes to take on the elements as well as the humans and animals that approached them for confrontation. They weren't limited to city or colony surroundings. He was fairly certain that they couldn't be beat.

: :

Sengokou frowned down at the shell-shocked man standing before him. He was prepared for this event to occur – it would have to – so he was ready to deal with the superhuman's backlash. "You were well aware of the manufacturing of these clones," he said. "To think that you were not one yourself was an unreasonable action."

"But you said nothing about that. That another…I…existed," Law said slowly. "I was never to believe that there was another one of me."

"It's not a new concept," Sengokou said patiently as Corazon smoked nearby, looking troubled. "It's how we've survived all these hundreds of years. I'd think that you'd understand that once you were aware. Of course, you _must_ expect that not all cloning techniques are to standard – _his_ was the sort that we were searching for in the last Vinsmoke. That was why it was important you were able to take him while he was incapacitated and you absolutely failed that task. You froze when you were needed the most – I thought we had trained you appropriately to _react_ appropriately when faced with a difficult adversity. That Vinsmoke moved right into your head."

Law stared at him in silence, jaw tight. Around them, horses shifted about as they nosed various greens and pawed at the hard dirt. The cold against their exposed skin was biting but the material of their clothing was enough to prevent discomfort.

"So," he struggled to say, finding his voice tight, "in that sense, those ones…those others…are they…? Are they're clones, too? There's more of them…?"

"We're all clones in this world," Sengokou said gravely. "But only we can stop these things before they fall into others' power and prevent a war. Germa's ruler, Judge, had sought to do this with his own children – take over the world for his own bidding by use of his own technology and science to do so. Unfortunately, he got too far ahead of himself for human comfort and this idiot here ruined what we could have used to prevent this desperation today."

"That's what we were created for…" Law trailed off, mind racing. It struck him then that he didn't have very clear childhood memories. There were only things from the lab that crossed his thoughts, and the fear that he was nothing but a solely created lab _thing_ made him question his own existence. He swallowed again. "Was I ever real in the first place?"

"You're like us," Sengokou answered, gesturing to himself and Corazon. "Created successfully from what we'd already perfected. As you can see, we're clearly human – we live, we breathe, we bleed, we think and feel – we're another incarnation of our original form. _That_ one you encountered isn't even the original. _All_ of you perished years ago, preserved in the fluids of the pod we'd locked you in the first place."

Law remembered the moment the door shut, feeling the pod filling with warm goo. He remembered breathing heavily, _angrily_ , for what was done to him. It occurred to him that he didn't remember ever falling asleep or waking up. He just remembered Corazon waking him and ordering him to get dressed. He was then briefed on short circumstances that included waking up two hundred years later _before_ meeting Kid and the others in the desert city of Alabasta. It felt like he'd only taken a short nap – revived hastily to live hastily before coming upon his literal clone and being slapped with a harsh reality. Parts of himself felt lacking in memory but others seemed to remind him that he was always a prisoner.

But then the short conversation he had with Sanji was enough to render his mind a mush. Not only to see another living, breathing version of himself cuddled – _cuddled_! – up to another man, but confessing to having very real feelings towards the same man in the same sense Law remembered seeing in Kid's and Perona's stupid vampire movies. His mind was a mess to accept that this was all happening. He felt like he was suffocating and couldn't breathe.

Sengokou grabbed him by the shoulder and shook him harshly, dislodging this feeling. " _Focus_!"

"Touch me again, and I will bite off those fat fingers of yours to spit into your face," Law snapped at him, jerking out of his grasp.

"Then we'll make a newer version of you," Sengokou said simply. "Someone who obeys when commanded. They are still out there, Trafalgar. Chomping at the bit to remove you first. Think about it – when you encounter a more lucid version of yourself, _he_ will be hungrier to remove you so that only he exists. He existed longer than you and has a bucket list longer than yours. Will you allow him to succeed?"

Unable to think of any appropriate response, Law found himself mute. But he felt the very human feelings of unease and agitation at the thought of being specifically targeted; of being told he was "expendable". Once he allowed himself to think about it, he could see himself eager to target and remove an obstacle that could threaten him, and it'd make more sense that it should be himself.

"We should move," Corazon suggested, flicking his butt aside. His large hand settled on Law's other shoulder with a pat. "They'll be after us. Even if we've hid our scent, I'm sure luck will be on their side."

"All that matters to these fools is bloodlust," Sengokou said. "They attack forcefully, never thinking about the smaller details. Their warpath is a clear indicator that they hit the strongest hard and fast – but with the other Trafalgar there, I'm sure we can expect to find him sneaking around the back while they pop in from the front. Because of his past methods, Trafalgar, it's up to you to confront him, take the Vinsmoke, and let us worry about the others."

After several long moments of consideration, Law murmured, "But I _am_ expendable, remember? Once I am felled, there is another to replace me."

Sengokou eyed him dangerously. "You'll still bleed as a human being. When confronted with a weapon, you'll still react. Even if you can be replaced, you'd still feel every shred of human emotion possible when threatened with death."

Law felt the weight of his humanity filled his lungs with lead. He was very human. He felt all the physical things – the uncomfortable threading of his uniform, the feel of his hair in the breeze – the shock of seeing himself with another man that knew too many intimate things about him. His lungs squeezed once more – never had he imagined that someone could care for him in a way he'd only seen in Perona's and Kid's stupid movies. Argued and fought for him, unlike the others – _a man_ was doing these things. He'd never given a thought to someone caring for him in this manner, before, much less another man. Was there something inside of him that was there that he hadn't yet explored?

"Law," Corazon interrupted his shocked thinking, bending down to capture his attention. "Consider yourself – put yourself in his place. What would he do?"

Pulled from his shock, Law managed to get his thoughts into order. It helped to focus on the task Corazon was able to call his attention on, distracting him from the heavy weight of the jumble in his thoughts. Once he was able to visualize the tactics Kid and the others could take based on what he'd learned of their recent battles, he said tightly, "Those idiots will rush in full force – I will come in from the back, utilizing that advantage. with how long the last Vinsmoke has remained undetected, he will accompany…the other I…and most likely show up in the building he'd…I'd… _he'd_ left. More than likely, he memorized what he could of it during his last breakout so they'd know where to go once the others attack. If he was broken out, then it makes sense that it was…him…the…fox…that helped him escape. Therefore, the fox would know the layout more than the other I would, and would assist him."

"What we don't know is how much stronger Trafalgar's become since he was released," Sengokou said gravely to Corazon. "Because he takes advantage of the others' force to knock down certain obstacles and doesn't display his full power."

"But he is strong," Corazon said slowly, "because they depend on him."

Law had noticed he'd grown stronger the more he pushed himself in training, so he assumed that living in the Wastelands and adapting to this strange time period forced the clone to push until limits were met and exceeded. He automatically placed his other self to be at least three times stronger, with a longer reach than himself. But it felt good to challenge himself – the other Law might be stronger, but it excited both of them to face test. So he had to think of at least six different paths that his other self might take to accomplish the task.

What he could agree on with his other self was the power the Marines held over the untamed world – slowly structuring themselves to take over, to command because they felt there was a lack of structure in the new world. What it felt like was a hostile takeover, and Law wondered if this is what they were truly being created for. Not to prevent wars but to be one themselves. He had so many questions…

"Then I will return to the base," Law then said, turning away from them. Without hearing their answers, he was gone.

Sengokou narrowed his eyes as he looked to Corazon. "Even this one is quietly plotting against us."

"All of our former selves had a defect or two," Corazon said slowly. "It took several of us to even start thinking as similarly as he did as our originals."

"He should still be kept in the dark," Sengokou decided. "About everything, and fed occasionally. Just enough for him to know that we know what's best for him and for the others. Once we get our control over this lawlessness, he'll be more comfortable then."

"But after how many versions of him will he feel that way?" Corazon asked airily.

: :

The Marine base was abuzz, with troops surging out towards the walls and staggering their position. Moving equipment caught Sanji's eye, and he counted as many as twenty tanks moving into place – it mystified him why they'd chose those vehicles when Kid had already proven that vehicles were nothing but toys to him. But he'd also noticed that many Marines were carrying plastic guns similar to that time Spandem had been in charge, and that others were carrying spear-type weaponry – he assumed it was for Luffy, for sharp objects still impacted the rubber boy tremendously. Most were wearing full body armor – to prevent Perona's creatures' bites. Steel doors were being drawn down around the main building to prevent infection spread. He noticed that several people were gassing down passing soldiers – presumably to remove scent.

Law had teleported them near the trash section, so they were hidden in the debris while the morning sun began to brighten the land. Looking over all the details, Sanji felt he didn't need to release any of his because he was sure the older man knew as much as he did.

"All I want to do is hit their labs," Law muttered, probably more to himself than to Sanji. He stood up and glanced at the fox. "Change."

"Not now!"

"In the event that you're captured," Law said, moving forward as he recalled the layout of the incinerator room. They were inside before he could finish speaking. "If you're in fox form that would mean you're of total animal structure. They can't retrieve what they're looking for if you retain that form for a period of time."

"I don't expect to get captured," Sanji snapped at him, taking the lead. The alarm had every available personnel racing about, shouting orders to each other to take to the main doors and windows – drawing down heavy wood covers with spikes embedded into them.

"Also, I need you to sniff out the kitchen," Law added vaguely. His stomach rumbled noisily, and he gripped it with his new hand. "In the chaos, they won't be guarding the kitchen until Luffy is found."

Sanji pulled out a small packet from his boot, opening it to reveal some strips of jerky. Law took them all and stuffed them into his mouth, stealthily moving down the hall while Sanji scowled. "Never mind about the kitchen. Where were the labs?"

Once they were there, Law quickly disposed of the men that were posted there – before they could cry out a warning, their bodies were cut through and startled heads tossed into a locker Sanji opened and shut once it was full. Moving comfortably through the bodies that moved about in confusion, Law found the alcohol and began tossing through over shelves of books and journals while Sanji began pulling paper material out and crumbling it. A gas canister was damaged to allow it to filter out, the smell making Sanji sick. After a few moments, Law set down an empty alcohol bottle and glanced around him.

"I won't even believe that this is it," Law muttered, gesturing at Sanji to hand over his matches. He slid that into his back pocket. "It was too easy. This is only a ruse for a trap."

"It is. Yet, you came in here knowing that."

Both of them looked up to see the other Law emerging from behind the plastic traps hanging from the disinfecting corridor, white Marine's uniform bright underneath the florescent lights. Sanji exhaled low as his eyes slid to the side, to see how his Law would react. The man's face immediately scrunched with disgust upon seeing his near mirror image staring at him with very similar action, but his fingers tightened upon his sword.

" _Disgusting_ ," Law muttered bitterly, feeling cut deep inside of him at seeing a living, breathing form of himself dressed in Marine's clothing. "To wear _that_ while following the rule of the ones that has oppressed you for so long. Have you no decency?"

The other Law's eyes narrowed. "Originally, you followed their orders. How is my position now different from yours then?"

Law mirrored that expression. "My freedom is worth more than being their fucking monkey."

"But with how little they give, wouldn't it make sense that you would wait and watch until you had what you needed?"

Sanji sniffed the air, and realized that the gas Law had allowed to filter into the lab was different from the label. He covered his nose and coughed, signaling the container. "It's _not_ \- !"

"Taking their scraps helps no one!" Law snapped at him. "You can be free but you're also intimidated by the change of land and structure this world has to offer, so you cower behind that excuse and learn _nothing_ but to follow their deceit."

The other Law grit his teeth and gave him an angry look.

"You were once in my position, so you'd understand how stupid that sounds," the other Law snapped back. He glanced to Sanji, seeing him struggle to remove the canister before looking back at his predecessor. "Besides, they haven't given me anything useful to explain their actions, so it doesn't make sense to scramble later to find the missing pieces like you're doing. If you were thinking logically, instead of being eager to escape – "

"Mine was a more convenient strategy to learn more of the issue at hand," Law said firmly, noticing Sanji stressed over the spilling canister. He used his Room to switch out the container the fox was struggling to remove with a trash bag from the incinerator room, the fox dropping the bag with a surprised shout. Law looked back to his clone, who was no doubt measuring the length of distance his opponent had with his Room ability.

Both of them studied each other, looking for giveaways in expressions or familiar quirks that would give away a thought or struggle. Both of them gave the same, exact indications that they'd interpreted intentions as they mentally wove through similar actions and thoughts in order to overpower the other.

"Also, you've noticed that they hide their true objectives with covers," the other Law said, hands at his sides while forming his own Room. He gave Law's sword an envious glance. "So what makes you confident that you'll succeed today? They're already safely out of the area."

 _Makes more sense why Robin and the others stayed behind_ , Law realized. He _felt_ rather than thought that his clone was purposely distracting him while pulling information from him. Both of their eyes narrowed at the same time as this sensation was realized. Both of them studied each other with expressions that were exactly the same – even their stances mirrored each other. Every time some thought or realization took form, the other seemed to understand immediately, giving signal to this with a twitch of an eyebrow or quirk of the mouth. It was mildly upsetting for Sanji to watch this happen, unnerved by the pair and what threats they were capable of – to each other and to those around them.

Sanji held a hand up, both of them distracted from the visual intimidation. He had a stained bandanna over his mouth and nose to prevent breathing in more of the gas. "I'mina just step out for a sec, leave ya'll to your mind games cuz I ain't keeping up."

He had the dismay to see twin faces twitch with disdain, so it irritated him five times more.

" _Stop it_ with your damn judgement!" he shouted at both of them. "My words just fine on both ya'll understanding exactly what I say!"

"Not knowing if there's more than what you've discovered so far," the other Law said slowly, ignoring the fox as he took a few steps to the right, Law's mind racing to anticipate what his other self was preparing for. Once he had a options, he took a few steps forward, the clone twitching with irritation. A few seconds more, both of them were in their previous positions. "…probably has left you frustrated now. Of course you came in here anticipating destroying a lab that _might_ have what you're looking for – "

"It wasn't going to end here," Law interrupted, "but it's enough to allow them to let down their guard."

"Then of course you'd know that they've already prepared back plan after back up plan in the event that they perished."

"Of course."

"And that I'd probably deceive them upon a given opportunity."

Law gave the tiniest of smirks.

Mirroring that expression, the other Law asked, "So why waste any time on this base?"

"…You should already know why."

After a few moments, the other Law tilted his head. "Of course."

Sanji looked from one to the other, a little anxious by the tension rising between the pair. Once they both looked at him, he froze nervously. He came to one conclusion once he realized that their conversation had only been about feeling each other out to see exactly where they stood with each other. He looked at his Law with outrage.

"You said you wouldn't do this again!" he shouted.

"All threads pertaining to clones need to be cut," the other Law said gravely, "mostly to prevent the Marines from spreading their influence throughout this new world."

"So it makes more sense to use their game to lure them into a false sense of confidence and security," Law continued.

"All they truly want is the last Vinsmoke to complete their cloning studies," the other Law continued, so it actually sounded as if only one Law were speaking. "So if the last Vinsmoke was in their custody, both Sengokou and Corazon would be in one spot, effectively allowing me to slaughter them both – "

"While their true base is revealed, allowing us the necessary chance to destroy them and their true laboratory…"

"…which would allow us to succeed with our true goal."

"All it takes is a little deception to do so," Law said to Sanji, who scowled at him.

"Eventually, their demise is only what I've wanted, and to do so warrants a little treachery," the other Law mentioned.

"At the risk of _my_ fucking life!" Sanji shouted at his Law with disbelief. His face and neck reddened with rising emotion until he lowered his bandanna. Various booming noises began to shake the walls and rumble down the hall. "Ya think they won't choose to destroy me right off? All they gonna need is my DNA! Put the rest of me on ice if they need bone later!"

"They won't," Law said slowly. "And if you should, Robin will take care of it."

Sanji stared at him with a frustrated expression before looking away. Law understood he was angry. It bothered him that Sanji did not understand the enormity of this chance to finally succeed in removing the Marines. But it also bothered him how Sanji's angry eyes cut from him to the floor, lips working in an upset frown.

Once the surety of this plan settled over Law like a weighted blanket, he realized that if he should follow it, he would never have Sanji's feelings, as small as they were, again. That sent a sudden zap through his lungs and heart, a slightly painful feeling that reflected on his face as a twitch.

Across from him, the other Law didn't understand why his predecessor was looking at the fox with a troubled expression only he could identify because he'd felt that same expression on his face when he reached a decision he was second guessing because an outcome didn't feel favorable. It was perplexing that Law was visibly upset because he'd upset someone else – the other Law never felt such things (couldn't remember ever doing so) and felt his own confidence falter.

In that space of time, Sanji looked at his Law with a heavy frown, fists clenched. "You ain't ever gonna get any emotions, will you?"

"Obviously I have them if I crave my freedom this badly," Law answered slowly, turning away from his clone to focus on the fox.

Giving a snort of disbelief, Sanji muttered, "Everythin' you said was a lie. Just…spillin' words while plottin' away, lurin' me into some space of comfort. It worked, some. Got me thinkin' ya actually did care. Ain't ever gonna help yaself with that selfish attitude, though. Not ever. If it ain't this one thing, it gonna be another. _And_ another. _And another_. Still gonna be givin' my life away cuz it's convenient for ya to think ta replace it 'steada tryin' to save it."

Law studied his upset expression and listened to his words. He just wished Sanji understood that his plan was important – _it made sense_. It made sense that using him to draw in Sengokou and Corazon would be the easiest way to destroy them and their hidden plans, their back up bodies and never have to worry about them again.

But thinking back to how he felt when Sanji was angry with him – it reminded him of how he felt not being able to be the person that Sanji wanted him to somehow, _magically_ , be. He also remembered how he couldn't change into this person until this situation was settled. He needed to be absolutely free before he could settle – he couldn't think of this in any other manner.

For once words failed to find him.

Sanji looked away from him with angry disappointment in his features.

Not understanding the reason behind this heavy silence and accusation, the other Law said uncomfortably, "It'll take them at least fifteen minutes to reach the outside security fence. So this room needs to be blown five past that."

When he didn't receive a response of any sort to his observations, the other Law looked at his predecessor. He was then surprised to see Sanji disappear in a puddle of his clothes, backpack and supplies, emerging as a fennec fox that turned his back on both of them, ears lowered.

"We need to go over this plan so that you will understand directly why…"

The fox snarled and barked at him, retreating underneath one of the tables, fluffy tail whipping out of sight.

The other Law looked at his predecessor with such much confusion once the other man's voice trailed off and he continued to look upset. He didn't understand why he was looking where the animal had hidden with consternation, unable to understand _why_ this event was more troubling than their freedom. All he could determine from the uncomfortable scene earlier was that Law actually _cared_ about Sanji's anger, and just recalling the scene he'd stumbled upon made all of the other Law's thoughts stagger, scattering like books falling onto the library floor.

After a few moments the animal crawled out from under the table and dragged its feet to come closer to him, ears lowered. The animal had such a pitiful look to its face that the other Law stared down at it with confusion. It was pure blond with ghostly expressions similar to the human's, so it was near comparable to looking at human Sanji. It sat down on its haunches, then bared its tiny teeth up at him, ears flattened. There was suddenly a part of him that felt _something_ for the creature.

The stabbing of the sword as it ran through him felt like a hard punch. The other Law reacted with a harsh inhale as the fox jumped with surprise, shrieking noisily with ear ringing chatter. Gripping the sword that made connection with the wall behind him, the other Law looked to his predecessor. The expression on his face was something only the other Law could attribute to Luffy, Perona or Kid when they found someone encroaching into their room or taking their snacks or removing a movie that they were watching. It was shocking to see himself make such an expression that was so childish and furious at the same time.

Despite hot fierce pain running through his veins, the blade starting to turn, the other Law managed to replace himself with one of the bodies clumsily moving around them. He slammed against one of the shelves with a harsh gasp, hands to his midsection as pain continued to blind him. Law removed his sword from the Marine that the other Law used as a dummy, a man's horrible shriek coming from the locker nearby. The fox was frozen in standing, ears on high alert while his mouth hung open.

Law exhaled slowly, frowning at blood dripping from his sword's blade. He then whipped it aside, looking to the other Law with set jaw.

"Sorry, instinct," he apologized coldly. Adding in a shrug, he said, "You know how it goes – thanks to those guys, I get aggravated when someone takes or attempts to touch my things."

The other Law looked up at him with disbelief, breathing shakily as pain continued to shoot through him, blood coloring his clothes and fingers. Now that he was focused on survival, he realized that this plan wasn't going to work. He had to admit, his predecessor had something more than what he was prepared for, and while the other Law didn't understand it, he had to factor it into his planning for later.

 _If_ he survived.

Rooms formed at the same time. The other Law looked to the fox but Law had already snatched him up and had teleported away before the other Law could react properly. The other Law hit the locker with an angry fist, smearing his blood on the door. Then he pushed himself to his feet, heading clumsily for escape.


	39. Chapter 39

**Naghi-Tan: Hopefully not! XD Yep, this fic is almost done – finally! It's the longest I've done, I think. Just full of nonsense because I was so involved in it – but it should wrap up nicely!**

 **: : Thirty Nine**

Reappearing near the medical ward, Law shoved the overexcited fennec fox into his vest, facing off with startled Marines. The situation he left behind gave him some idea of what to do – if Corazon and Sengokou were posted in the outskirts of the base for safety, then he'd do what it took to find them there. The others were more than capable of destroying the base – he'd sort through the wreckage later to find more information on the labs. But he was also reeling from the decision he made to avert from his original plan –feeling as if he'd stepped down onto what was sure surface and finding no ground there.

A few swipes of his sword displaced limbs and bodies, clearing his path as he hastily took that hall. He could feel the effects of the seastone in that ward, his limbs weakening as he took that direction towards one of the exit doors in the distance. Once out there, he'd get his bearings back and reset his thoughts and everything would be well again –

He barely had enough time to leap backwards once the other Law appeared in front of him. He immediately wilted, Law shoving Sanji's furry head deep beneath his vest as the fox cried out. Both Laws stared at each other, struggling to keep their energy up as the seastone affected them. The other Law was clutching his wound and breathing heavily, but he was determined to fight through that to complete his task. Law was sure his clone was just as mighty as he was in strength of will – the other Law would fight until either his body gave up, or he chose to step back to allow time to give him other options.

"You idiot," the other Law snapped at him, blood staining his uniform in a rather gruesome pattern. "This could be our only chance to get rid of them!"

"There are other options," Law replied calmly. He paused before saying, "I just haven't thought of them just yet."

"None are as effective! Chasing them to the ends of this Earth will only prove wasteful! By then, they should have more clones made of their own making and – each of us replaced until we're to their liking," the other Law panted out. "Imagine yourself turning more and more into their favor!"

"They need to be stopped," Law agreed, unsheathing Kikoku slightly to perform a Scan of his opponent. He hadn't hit any vital organs but the heavy bleeding was attributed to the other Law's physical actions. Blood loss effects wouldn't drop him for at least fifteen minutes. He sheathed his sword. "Today, tonight – there's another way, and you're interrupting me."

"Your actions doesn't make any sense," the other Law snarled at him, forming a Room.

Law didn't feel the need to explain himself. It would be too clumsy, too time consuming. It had taken himself all this time to admit his own feelings, so he knew trying to explain something as foreign as this wouldn't work on the clone before him. He gripped his sword tightly.

"Get out of the way," he said firmly. "If you trust yourself to carry out a successful mission, then you'll have to rely on my actions."

The other Law eyed him with a heavy frown. "I don't trust you," he said slowly. "Because your decision to backtrack and evade makes no sense to me."

"Then I won't hesitate to kill you. Easy." Law swallowed hard, seeing his own face glare back at him. His breathing quickened a little – it felt strongly of suicide more than murder. Looking at himself from another body, similar to a dream.

The other Law's face tightened as he took a wider step, releasing his wound so that his other hand was free. The walls immediately ripped and closed in on Law and he quickly teleported out of the impact. Concrete, seastone and wiring from the above lighting crashed and tumbled together as he alit onto the tile. He pushed the collected debris forward, feeling the hard catch as the other Law pushed it back. Feeling the strain in his abilities, Law grunted, pushing forward. He could imagine himself doing the same – anticipated the next movement just as he'd thought of it himself. The floor underneath him shot upward – he teleported behind it, then kept jumping back until the other Law's Room ended. His fingers spread wide, he "grabbed" the debris collected early and pulled it to himself, breaking down the small stalagmites that the other Law had formed. Then he pushed it to the side so the other Law was revealed as the dust and smoke began to settle.

The other Law was in his face before his arms could lower, boot connecting against the side of his head. It rocked him off balance but he anticipated the follow up combination of punches and short kicks. Both Rooms dissipated so they could focus on the physical aspect of the fight.

Law noticed that his clone realized he was doing everything he could to protect his front – before he could do anything, the other Law formed a Room and switched the fox with a piece of debris from the floor. Law mimicked the movement and once he had the surprised fox back in his vest he teleported back to the lab. He'd just moved into a run when the other Law appeared right against them, so both of them tripped over each other as they began to give chase. Sanji scrambled out of his vest as the other Law fell over him, both of them rolling over each other, trying to snatch limbs or clothing to catch the other.

Huddling underneath a nearby table, Sanji could only watch as they physically fought each other. It was hard for him to act, mind a mess as he tried to think of an appropriate plan to subdue the clone without contributing to his death. It was something he'd have to dwell on later. He raced to his clothes, transformed, and dressed quickly as the men fought each other. Sanji had just pulled on his pants with his shirt clinging to only one arm when the other Law leapt to his feet, snatching the sword from its sheath. Law blocked the blade as it came down ono him, kicking the clone's shin with the heel of his boot and having him stumble. He was on his feet, tackling the clone into the nearby lockers – the other Law was clumsy with the weapon, dropping it as he settled on hand to hand combat.

Abandoning his boots, Sanji hurried forward and grabbed the sheath, replacing the blade as both of them struggled against each other. They disappeared briefly but reappeared moments later on the other side of the room. Both of them switched each other with one of the bodies lumbering around, so seeing them staggering about without their heads was momentarily startling.

Sanji tossed the sword and lunged towards the clone's original body. The Marine occupying it was too disoriented to understand what was happening to him, crying out hoarsely as Sanji tripped and slammed him onto the floor, yanking his arms behind him. He yanked his shirt off and tied his hands together, knee on back.

"Here! _Here_!" he shouted at Law.

Law managed to return, the other returning to his and finding he was restrained. " _Fuck_!" he shouted in alarm, looking to Sanji before disappearing, replaced with a guard's body from the hallway.

Sanji grabbed his things, boots gripped under one arm. "Take us into the medical ward!"

"Then I'll be weakened!" Law snapped at him, looking at him in outrage.

"He can't follow us there, an' he won't expect it," Sanji insisted. "Both of ya already know where ya gonna wind up and you _know_ he can't handle that area cuz he much weaker than you, so do it!"

Law followed the order despite his own instinct warning him not to. Once inside the ward, he almost hit his knees as his body nearly gave out. Sanji finished dressing, pulling a t-shirt from his backpack and yanking on his boots. He then grabbed Law by his arm and pulled him along.

The ward was empty, the sound of voices in the distance assuring them that this area was unguarded. Pulling him towards the exit, they popped out into the morning air just in time to see tanks fly over each other, crashing noisily into the dirt. Once Law had his strength back, both of them quickly left the base grounds, reappearing minutes later back into the wooded area they'd hastily abandoned earlier.

Law caught his breath, hands on his knees. Every part of him felt sore and weak after so much physical exertion, but his thoughts were just as scattered. Sanji watched him, on guard for any more funny business. He understood that something significant had happened for the older man to change his mind, but he couldn't delve into it, now. He glanced around to determine where they were and realized that he didn't recognize the area at all.

"Pretty sure I ain't been here, so you wander off while I was makin' dinner?" Sanji asked curiously, noting the lack of any game trails and sniffing for dangerous predators.

He looked at Law for an answer when he realized he was really looking at the _wrong_ one. The Marine had a Room formed and in that space of time, Sanji quickly took to his fox form with a startled cry. The clone picked up a rock and switched them, Sanji crying out furiously as he struggled to bite and claw at him.

Exhaling heavily, the clone wearily gathered his bearings, the fox's inane screeching ringing off the trees around them. He dragged his feet towards the camp where Corazon and Sengokou were stationed, holding Sanji firmly by the scruff of his neck to avoid any more damage. As he walked he continued to plot, sure this would lead him to his eventual freedom. No matter what, he would be free.

 _In the end, this justice is meaningful_ , he thought to himself. _Getting rid of them means my freedom, and no more of their interference_.

He shook the struggling fox to get his attention. "I won't kill you – I'll feed you to Luffy. He likes fluffy things."

The fox settled, ears flicking. The other Law frowned at him, uncertain if this animal was even intelligent enough to understand his intention. The fox looked at him, large brown eyes assessing his expression. It was eerie for Law to see because it felt like the animal understood him. He paused in mid-step, sure he was seeing things.

The fox's eyes narrowed suddenly, panting slightly before closing his mouth again. He twisted suddenly out of Law's grasp, hitting the ground before looking up at the clone with some defiance. Law moved to grab him, succeeding with surprisingly easy success as the fox allowed him to pick him up.

Mind briefly stumbling, Law stared at the animal. The fox barked at him, tail curled upward as he allowed himself to be held.

"Are you of reasonable intelligence?" Law asked incredulously.

The fox managed a nod.

"You understand what I am saying?"

The fox gave him a rather irritated nod, one back leg kicking out impatiently. Mind blown, Law stared at him for several moments, then set him down on the ground. "Jump."

With irritated features, the fox jumped.

The Marine wasn't sure how to process how an animal understood human intelligence. He wondered if this was partly the reason why the last Vinsmoke was valuable. He wasn't up to date on bestial beings - only of Zoro – but the Marines hadn't informed him of this fact. He only knew the last Vinsmoke was carrying valuable DNA that the Marines wanted to use to perfect the cloning techniques, and that he was a failed biology project. There was nothing in the records about Sanji having the full capabilities of a human while in animal form. Something in his memories jiggled, trying to show him pictures but they stopped before he could actually process them to understand what he was trying to remember.

The other Law considered this for a few moments, then crouched down in front of him, the animal mimicking by sitting on his back haunches. Seemingly glaring at him. At that moment, he realized he'd seen this before. Vague memories of being inside the bunker with the animal glaring at him while wearing some of Perona's accessories came back to him. The clone began to process that memory, and found a slightly corrupted path from it – he recalled Luffy taking a large bite out of a squirming animal, the horrified shrieks of Perona ringing off the walls and Marines reaction of shock.

Understanding that his memories weren't in place because he had been created recently, the other Law sat slowly onto the ground, wearing a confused expression. The fox's ears perked a little, watching him with a tilted head.

"I've seen you before, but I don't remember you being human," the clone said slowly.

The fox's head tilted in the other direction, ears flicking. Its animal features seemed to hold something close near human sympathy. Sanji uttered noises that could only be described as screeching, but seemingly with attempted conversation.

The clone focused a glare upon him. "I'm a fucking human, too, right? How does rendering me into something expendable like a lab rat give them any sort of power over me?"

The fox screeched out a reply, giving his furred feet a quick lick before looking at him, ears flickering. The other Law realized that the last Vinsmoke had heard similar enough rantings to be understanding of his situation. But it made him feel disoriented to think that there was another one of him already out there, speaking of similar problems with similar solutions. It was eerie to think he wasn't the only one in existence – there was someone with his thoughts, breath and DNA already living with him.

When he was stabbed, what hurt the most was seeing his own face looking at him with no emotion other than selfish reasoning behind it. What felt sickening about the situation was that his predecessor had lived long enough to develop a different way of thinking – it felt like someone had occupied his body and denied him experience. It made him feel angry all over again.

The fox whined noisily, skirting in one direction to the other with a sort of guilty expression before sitting once more, tail thumping against the dirt. The clone looked away from him, furrowing his brow with concentration. If the pair wanted this fox-person so badly, how many more of himself would they make? How many of them would continue to think the way he did – or the original did? – and would he be aware of the changes all through the process? How much of himself would he lose along the way?

He didn't like the thought of being a human expendable. He glanced around himself, taking in the nerve wrecking sound of birds chirping noisily in the tree, of some far off braying that sounded like something from a horror movie, of the unknown that lay in all directions. He thought of how his predecessor was that eager to tear down the entire Marine formation just to be "free" – how he viewed his own freedom. His predecessor was very different from him – mindful of feelings he'd hurt and relying on the comfort of another man's lap to rest his head.

He looked at Sanji again, finding the fox just watching him, ears back and tail moving again once he realized the clone was looking at him.

In the distance, something boomed with such force that it echoed in the wilderness around them. Birds took flight, using wings that were much longer than what he'd seen on tv. Their screams hurt his ears. Sanji quickly took cover underneath some shrubbery, whining noisily. The clone picked up a rock to exchange it for the animal, and held onto the furry warm body tightly. Now he was treated to the memory of holding gingerly onto its light weight while tending to its injuries, and the other Law hesitated with his next step. The fox looked up at him with inquiry, legs and tail folded and curled in a submissive gesture.

"What you got there?"

Corazon's voice startled both of them, the fox barking out and intending on running when Corazon snatched him from the clone's hand. The Marine was standing right behind the clone, towering over him like a tree himself. The other Law looked at him with a startled expression, expecting some sort of angry effort when he realized Corazon was much too relaxed to attack.

"I know it's you," the man assured the clone, examining the snarling fox for himself. Knowing this caused the clone some trepidation. "I couldn't help but overhear you communicating with this furry little dog-thing. He's much smaller than I remember him being. But you succeeded, Law, _good job_!"

The clone glared up at him, then looked at the squirming fox with some consideration. Corazon's long fingered hands closed around the animal with threatening force, causing frenzied squeals from the fox.

"You need it to be human," the clone reminded Corazon heavily.

"There are ways to force the issue," Corazon assured him. He gave the clone a disgusted look. "You look like something that has been dragged from the bushes. Clearly this one is defective. The wilderness wasn't kind to him. Be assured, this is the sight of your future, Law, should you chose to…wander off."

The clone frowned sullenly, already aware of the physical differences in this form compared to his. This world was quite intimidating compared to the one that he knew.

"Let's take him to Sengokou, then," Corazon said, fingers curling around the fox's head, careful to avoid the sharp teeth. He carried the squirming animal like it was a toy, stumbling over exposed roots from a nearby tree. The clone watched him for some moments, heart racing.

"You kill me again, and I will be quite angry," Corazon then said lightly over one shoulder.

"There are methods to replace you," the other Law said airily, walking after him.

Corazon paused short, squealing fox clawing at his hand. While he wasn't looking at the clone directly, the man felt like the older Marine was sizing him up with a pensive sort of air. He reached into his pocket, withdrawing a cigarette case and a lighter. After managing to pluck one out and light it with one hand, Corazon tucked those two away. A second later Sanji was in naked human form, launching a kick straight at the man's head and knocking him off balance. The other Law saw the gun bounce from Corazon's hand to the dirt, startling him. Sanji changed back into a fox and darted off into the surrounding shrubbery.

Momentarily stumbled by the action, the clone could only gape at Corazon as he clumsily reached for his gun. Before the older man could touch it, the other Law formed a Room and pulled the gun from his reach. Once it was firmly in hand, the clone frowned down at the Marine, who looked at him crossly.

"Give me the gun, Law," Corazon ordered, hand out as he slowly stood.

"You were going to shoot me?"

"Not you," Corazon said soothingly, smoke drifting into his eyes and forcing him to flutter a hand over his face. "The fox. To turn him human. Now that he's escaped, go retrieve him."

The clone didn't want to act impulsively. He wanted the pair together so that they could be destroyed together as one – doing so separately would allow Sengokou to create another one of Corazon. At the same time, he knew Corazon had intended on shooting him with the intention of using his body to clone with the use of Sanji's. Every instinct of his was screaming that this had been the anticipated task.

But he flipped the gun around, holding it by the barrel while looking at Corazon's stiff expression. The fox erupted into noisy shrieks and barks from somewhere within the shrubbery, causing such a ruckus that something answered faraway with a ferocious howl. It was too big to be something natural, and both men froze in reaction. The shrubbery rustled as the fox quickly made its way out, still barking.

Corazon snatched the gun from the clone and fired repeatedly into the brush that rattled the most, the fox silencing quickly. He stalked over to investigate as the clone watched warily, hands at his side. The barking in the distance seemed to move in their direction, Corazon reloading his weapon.

"Here comes the slave," he muttered. "I guess that aspect between them didn't change that much. Once he comes, Law, prepare yourself – it isn't human, nor is it an animal. It's a beast, like from the movies. Created to take on grave injuries and weaponry like a damn battle tank. Your job is to help me find that fox, get rid of the wolf. Then we'll return to Sengokou."

It took the clone a few moments to remember that Zoro was a beast of some sort. He remembered Sanji telling him that there was some sort of bond between him and Kid. Kid had romantic notions that the clone remembered hearing about in the bunker – he felt that if the beast did show up suddenly, Kid wouldn't be that far behind. He'd abandon the others if he wasn't already occupied by –

His thoughts slammed to a stop, as if a wall suddenly popped up. He remembered seeing Kid throw a fit that destroyed most of their living areas. It was frustrating how he couldn't complete most of his memories or thoughts in a manner he was used to.

Before either of them could react, something large and dark shot out from the rocks behind them. A wolf slammed into Corazon's legs, knocking the man down while biting into his coat from the shoulders and yanking savagely in order to cover the man's head. Law thought this was the beast that he'd been speaking of until two more launched themselves from the shrubbery behind him. His first thought was that they were mutated – the things were much larger here than he'd seen on TV! He quickly teleported out of their reach, watching as they separated – one retreated into some trees, the other targeted Corazon. Corazon lifted his gun to fire when another launched itself from one of the trees nearby, snatching the metal object from his fingers and running off. Once he was disarmed, all animals disappeared, leaving the shrubbery to rustle noisily.

Corazon quickly climbed to his feet and hurried off towards their camp. Three more wolves shot into view, snarling with sharp teeth and forcing him to a stop.

"Shit," he muttered pensively as the bushes rustled once more, one of the wolves emerging to saunter behind him with a low growl. The clone realized that these animals were actively thinking to hunt their prey, using near human intelligence to do so. He was astounded, wondering if they were of similar power to the fox.

His instinct rang, causing him to notice that while he was so involved staring at the animals surrounding Corazon, there were three more taking towards his back, spreading into a semi- circle to prevent him from escaping.

The animals bared their teeth as they began to close their distance.

Sanji shot out from the shrubbery, causing a few furry heads to whip about to look at him. The fox launched himself at the clone, clawing up and into his vest. The wolves attacked, and the clone quickly teleported out of their reach, hearing Corazon yell aloud with alarm. It gave the other Law a chance to get out of the area and think about his next options, all the while processing that these mutated animals were nothing like they were depicted on nature shows he occasionally caught with Luffy.

The fox was breathing heavily as the clone settled into an opening away from the area, hearing Corazon's frustrated shouts and curses as the remaining animals snarled and barked. The vicious howling and barking of an approaching creature became louder as it grew closer.

The fox leapt out from Law's vest, whirling about to take in his surroundings before focusing on the clone with an impatient bark. Seconds later he was human, crouching with a modest air and a determined look. "Get back to the base," he advised the clone. "Cuz it obvious they wanted ta murder you to replace you."

The clone frowned at him. "I return," he started slowly, "and I'll miss out on this opportunity to take them out together."

"Then you gonna rely on them to keep ya alive?" Sanji snorted, resettling restlessly as Zoro grew closer. He was surprised that the wolf had heard him, considering the commotion growing from the base. Surprised after their talk yesterday that Zoro could still respond to him.

The clone wore a pensive expression, glancing around cautiously in case the wolves or the beast showed up. The fox appeared once more, turning and racing hastily for the treeline. The other Law quickly exchanged a branch he grabbed for the animal, then held it as delicately as possible as it began to squirm and squeal. Still hearing Corazon's shouts, he began moving around that area to that he could at least reach the camp – perhaps there, unintentionally leading the superhumans back to where Sengokou and the others were would give him that advantage.

He allowed Sanji to continue calling out for his companion, the answering barks and howls growing closer. To speed up his escape, the clone teleported hastily until he touched down to where Sengokou and his troops were waiting, already weaponized and preparing for a hasty departure.

Sengokou looked over to address him, clearly understanding the switch until he saw the squirming fox in the clone's hands. He held a hand out as armed troops began to maneuver around a couple of heavily armored trucks, whose engines were rumbling noisily. "Give me the animal," he ordered.

The clone frowned at him, glancing about. "Where's Cora?"

"Give me the animal, Trafalgar." Sengokou's eyes narrowed as the fox continued calling out, the clone looking up at the man with some defiance. "Give it to me now, or shut it up before it draws in that creature."

"We're not afraid of some 'creature', are we? How bad can it be?" the clone responded slowly, fingers tightening a little and causing the fox to quiet, panting lightly. "Of course it'd make more sense to stay here, dispose of them now before moving onto bigger and better things."

"You are not knowledgeable just yet of what feats this group is capable of, and what might happen if we should challenge that effort with what we have now," Sengokou snapped at him, striding over to close the distance. "It's important to drop back and have better preparations in the event that our numbers drop in the effort."

"We are prepared," the clone said confidently, pushing the fox into his vest. "I am here. I know what I'm capable of compared to them and to that mutt."

" _Trafalgar_ ," Sengokou said slowly, voice dripping with warning, "that confidence is misplaced. Give me the animal, and you're more than welcome to stay behind to test your abilities. But in the meantime - !"

"What are you so afraid of, Sengokou?" the clone asked. He drew back with a light smirk. In moments, the wolves from earlier were suddenly shooting through the surprised group, knocking aside startled people as they made to draw on them. The animals ignored them, hastily taking escape to higher ground. Seeing this, the clone quickly turned and headed towards the right, much to Sengokou's surprise.

" _Trafalgar_!"

Seconds later, the beast arrived. Men screamed with surprise as massive teeth chomped down on those intending on firing at him, taking on gunfire with a lack of reaction. Sanji continued to squeal as the clone took to a safe distance, turning to watch with awe upon seeing the creature. As a few men to the side escaped the beast's wrath, they lowered their weapons to fire. Not even a moment later, their guns were ripped right out of their hands, along with other metal objects in the area. The clone had the pleasure of seeing Sengokou's enraged expression as he turned to escape within one of the awaiting vehicles.

Before he could reach it, long arms sprouted out from the ground and held them in place as panicked feet hit the gas pedals.

"Take them all down!" the clone heard Kid shout breathlessly, wheezing for breath as he made his appearance. He looked quite tired from the dash, heaving with his hands on his knees as the beast continued mowing down the armed clusters around them. His face was bright red with effort, clashing with his hair. " _And find me oxygen_! For fuck's sake I can't _breathe_!"

The clone glanced around for his predecessor, taking cover near the tree line. He saw that Sengokou abandoned the vehicles, turning to look around him for an escape route. Arms sprouted up and around him, but before they could clutch him he shifted shape. Manicured fingers scratched uselessly around the hardening gold of his skin, nearly shredding his jacket and pants. Bigger arms began to unleash from the ground, but he reached out with thick hands to break them, hearing a startled cry in the distance as the arms broke noisily.

The other Law started to move in on him when he was instead looking at the scene from the distance – in the air, as a matter of fact, as Luffy swung in by using tree branches to do so. The blinding pain of his earlier wound caused him to scream, the teen looking at him with impatience.

"Stop screaming so much! You act like you're dying!" Luffy scolded.

"Do it," Perona encouraged with a crazed look to her eye, clinging to Luffy's back. " _Do_ it so I can see for myself whether or not I can control you!"

The clone switched himself out from Luffy's grasp with a piece of debris from the ground, hitting hard. The pair continued on ahead, whooping and hollering, disappointed that Zoro had taken up more of the action than they wanted. Knowing that he was useless for now, the clone clutched his bandaged wound, then decided to go make sure Corazon wasn't forgotten in the mess.

: :

Law understood what his clone was attempting to accomplish as the chaos continued through the camp. He watched with a sort of puzzled expression, wondering if he should be impressed with himself or for his clone as an individual. It was a difficult conundrum.

" _Shush_ ," he admonished the fox attempting to escape his vest. "Calling for help like a damsel in distress. Aren't you embarrassed?"

The fox stared up at him for several seconds as Law assessed the scene once more, seeing that Sengokou had Zoro's mouth shut, the beast twisting mightily in order to be released while the bigger man struggled to retain his hold on him. Law narrowed his eyes with satisfaction as he saw that Kid was demolishing the armored vehicles that Robin clung to. He wondered where they were, scanning the tree line and mountain sides for any sight of them.

"Only Cora is missing," he hissed with disappointment. "To be expected."

The fox bit him underneath his chin, causing him to yell out with surprise, Kid whipping his head to look at him. He pointed at him, several metal clusters slamming into the trees that Law barely had time to hide behind.

"I'll kill you, you flashy bastard!"

"Are you the _real_ one? Or the fake?"

"I'll tell everyone how you pissed in the rain bucket at home and that they drank it - !"

Law ducked once more as an armored truck hit, causing debris to rain around them, a couple of men flying from the windshield with screams.

"Trafalgar got his body back!" Kid roared at the others, Luffy flying overhead to slam into Sengokou with a shout. Perona daintily dropped from his back, catching herself to fall at Kid's side. "Where's the other one, Luffy?"

"Oh, he dropped himself off back there!" Luffy said, pointing in a general direction before Sengokou punched him hard enough to send him flying into the mountainside. Perona shrieked at the sight of this, mouth dropping open.

"He's in _that_ mode! Can we beat him?"

"We're going to do it today!" Kid said with determination. "After all the shit he did to us, it's payback time!"

Perona nodded with a similar expression, getting up to touch all the bodies Zoro left behind. One by one they climbed to their feet, chittering or groaning as they colored the dirt with their blood or fluids.

"Cora's missing!" Law announced, watching her work with disdain. He dropped Sanji onto the dirt, the fox whirling around with a sense of confusion. "Change. Use their clothes."

Sanji took on his human form, crouching low with knee bent in front of him for some modesty. "How do I know it's you I'm talkin' to? I couldn't tell ya apart for anything!"

Law furrowed his brow with consideration, then said gravely, "You're right. What is happening now is something I would do. Considering that all actions taken recently are sneaky, wrought with selfishness and entirely of my own agenda – "

"Never mind, that be good enough," Sanji decided with a roll of his eyes while Law frowned at him for even asking in the first place. The human then shook his head, not making the move for the clothes. "Corazon still out there – don't think it ain't smart to change at this point."

"Then I'll find him."

"I'll lead you where we left 'im." Once in fox form Sanji took off, deftly avoiding the ghosts that were staggering to join the fight against Sengokou. Law hurried after him, Kid catching sight of him.

"Where ya going?" he demanded.

"Find Cora."

"Okay, cool. You let him get away again, and I'll finish this entire thing by myself!"

Law didn't bother to give him a reaction, allowing Kid the satisfaction of having put some fear in him to finish the job. He turned to see Sengokou throw Zoro aside before being pummeled by Luffy once the rubberboy returned. Perona pushed her ghosts forward as Pedro appeared, huffing around his cigarette.

"The others have been taken down, but Violet and Rebecca are reporting that more Marines from the base are coming this way," Pedro warned Kid, crouching low as Luffy's battle cries and Perona's commands flooded the air.

Kid scoffed at this, watching as Zoro caught himself, then turned wildly to attack Sengokou from below while Luffy wrapped himself around the man's head. The massive titan stumbled before catching himself, nearly tripping over the dead that clawed and bit at his legs. Studying Sengokou, Kid had no idea how he was going to bring the man down and to force him back to human form. All they could do was pin him. As for Corazon, if he didn't want to be found, then he was going to slip away for safety – allowing him time and position to release a newer version of Sengokou if that happened.

Kid waved Pedro away, the beast looking at this action with disdain.

"Zoro! Find Corazon!" Kid bellowed, voice booming out over the chaotic noises ahead of him. Once the beast heard him, one of his ears flicked with irritation before ignoring him to attempt to tear into Sengokou's leg. The titan stumbled again, Luffy dropping down onto the ground with his arms outstretched to throw him off balance. Using that opportunity, Kid pulled onto the armored trucks nearby, slamming them one by one off the titan without regards to where anyone was at the time.

One of them slammed off Zoro's head, causing the beast to stumble before turning and looking at him with a snarl. Kid and Pedro froze, then raced to safety as the beast charged after them, distracted from the battle.

"Not very bright, are you?" Pedro complained from one tree while Kid climbed another, huffing.

"We're still working things out," Kid explained, having to kick sharp teeth away from him as he scrambled up higher into the tree. A fox's barking caught the beast's attention, Zoro pausing in mid-attack to listening with alert ears. He then hopped down into the dirt and hauled away from the scene, causing Kid some shock. He then looked to Sengokou with a frown. "Now, to figure out how to get this guy down…any ideas?"

"What to do once we get there?" Pedro asked as large hands and arms sprouted from the dirt, rising above Sengokou to grab and pin him onto the ground. Smaller ones burst forward to wrap around his legs and torso, clearly struggling to hold as Kid hopped out from the tree. He lifted the battered vehicles from the ground, kicking Perona aside to get a better look at the situation. In the distance, he heard Ussop's rifle going off – sporadic shots that suggested he was already attempting to cull the Marines coming their way. More assured him that the Violet and Rebecca had joined him with their efforts to assist.

Kid slammed the vehicles into alternating action against Sengokou's head while the arms kept the titan pinned. Car fluids splattered over the man, coating him in various colors of black, red and leaving behind a splotchy stain that reeked strongly of gas. Perona, once she was able to pick herself up, pushed her ghosts over the man, their limbs clumsily attaching to Sengokou in an effort to subdue him. Luffy's arms continued to coil around the man's neck – with no real damage caused – and stretched his legs out to capture two of the trees behind him. Sengokou struggled against the weight, roaring with displeasure. Once he was able to break free of the massive arms holding him down, movement was easier for him. He rose up, nimbly kicking free of the ghosts that were powerless to stop him. Kid flung one car at Sengokou's feet, the other poised overhead when Luffy arched backward, using the trees' support to steady him.

The titan teetered for a moment before Luffy released his hold on the trees and shot outward, loosening his grip from around Sengokou's neck but not releasing it. Flung out in the opposite direction, Luffy came back with feet together and landed a hard drive over the man's face. This sent both of them into the dirt, playing debris all about. Ripping about the vehicle he held, Kid sent pieces flying around Sengokou's legs, wrapping them tightly together. Metal coiled and roped around each other, tightening once Luffy leapt away with a shout.

"We need a volcano," Kid decided, looking around for one conveniently in the area. Pedro looked at him with scorn. "Something hot and melty – anyone got matches?"

Pedro knew they weren't going to win this way, but he flicked his cigarette anyway. Flame alit Sengokou's leg, rising up in rivets around him – the man impatiently brushed himself off as he steadily rose once more, stumbling a little in the improvisational leg shackles around his ankles. He broke through them with short kicks, Luffy and Perona groaning in disappointment.

"Foolish children," Sengokou murmured with a shake of his head, continuously wiping himself off. "There was a reason I was assigned to this unit."

"If our powers don't work on each other," Kid mumbled to himself thoughtfully, "and we're the 'perfect unit', their powers shouldn't have that much of an effect on us. We were their perfected weapons – and their clones throughout the years were made with corruptions and improvements only available upon research. So either he can't hold that form for long, or he can react to shit that we're just not hitting yet. So what can melt gold?"

"Aqua Regia," Pedro answered, skeptically.

Kid thought about it for a few moments, brow furrowed. "Well, great, got some on ya?"

"Yeah, right in my purse. Let me get it real quick."

Kid looked at him to see if he were serious and saw the beast rolling his eyes. He decided Pedro wasn't going to be helpful at all and gave an impatient shout. "Guys! Keep hounding him!" he then shouted, pulling all available metal to him, forming a gigantic wall. "Bet ya he can't keep this up for very long! Luffy, keep hitting him with all you got, don't get all shy! Perona, keep those things on his feet, make him fall! Get those arm things in here, hold him still so I can keep hitting him! Yo, kitty cat! Find some gas – get a lot of it, we're going to need it! Sooner or later, he's gonna break down – we don't need Trafalgar's help on this one! He comes back here and starts doing something real easy, that's gonna hurt my goddamn ego!"

"He'd rub it in for weeks," Perona muttered bitterly, clinging to one of Sengokou's legs.

Pedro didn't think it was that smart to have plans laid out right in front of their opponent, but it was their show for now – he'd let them have it.


End file.
